How should the LGBT community respond to next Sunday’s anti-gay hatefest in Houston?

 

Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty,” former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and HGTV’s the Benham brothers are among those slated to speak at an anti-LGBT rally in Houston next Sunday. The rally, dubbed “I Stand Sunday,” will be hosted by the Family Research Council, an anti-LGBT hate group, at Grace Community Church. Co-sponsors of the event, held two days before Election Day, include the National Organization for Marriage and Texas Values.

Organizers of the rally bill it as a response to city officials’ decision to subpoena five pastors’ sermons as part of the city’s legal defense of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which would ban anti-LGBT discrimination. In response to backlash, city officials removed “sermons” from the subpoenas and clarified they’re only seeking instructions given by the pastors, who led opposition to the ordinance, about the petition process for repealing it.

For example, one video posted online indicates that one of the pastors, David Welch, was well aware of the strict rules for gathering signatures on the petition, which sought to place a repeal of the ordinance on the ballot. Those very same rules led to the petition being rejected by the city due to invalid signatures, which prompted the lawsuit from opponents of the ordinance, which led to the subpoenas, etc.

It all seems pretty clear-cut — and few would argue that pastors’ sermons shouldn’t be subpoenaed if they might contain evidence of criminal activity, or if a mosque was allegedly promoting terrorism. However, the right wing has seized upon the Houston subpoenas, painting them as an attack on religious freedom and using the issue to yet again vilify out lesbian Mayor Annise Parker.

“Recently the speeches and communications of five pastors in Texas were subpoenaed by Houston’s openly gay mayor and her attorney,” the narrator says in a promotional video for “I Stand Sunday.” “The subpoenas were the mayor’s response to citizens collecting over 50,000 signatures in 30 days to put her special homosexual rights measure on the ballot. This bulldozing of the First Amendment freedoms of pastors in Houston is unprecedented. Is it a preview of what’s coming to your community? It doesn’t have to be — if America returns to God and his truth. Scripture tells us to put on the full armor of God so that when the day of Evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.”

LGBT advocates in Houston tell me they’re unsure if there will be any organized response to “I Stand Sunday.” Personally, I’d suggest a large service at an affirming church attended by every LGBT person in Texas who can possibly make it to Houston. Call it “We Stand For Love.” Or, we could just do our best to ignore the whole thing. What do you think?

FOLLOW LONE STAR Q ON FACEBOOK

 

Comments

comments