🚀 go-pugleaf

From: CENDO RICHARD <cendo@spot.Colorado.EDU>


Continuation

Colorado Springs Police estimated that nearly 5,000 people marched in the 
parade and attended the Pride Rally that followed.  After his speech, Mel 
White asked the crowd that had gathered on behalf of gay rights, if they 
would donate money to Ground Zero to buy a full page ad to answer Dr. 
Dobson's anti-gay rhetoric.  The crowd cheered and volunteers from Ground 
Zero passed amoung the celebrants collecting dollars and spare change. In 
just thirty minutes, $2,000 was collected to pay for the full page 
response. 

"In an unexpectedly huge show of support for gay and lesbian rights," the 
Denver Post reported, "more than 2,000 people marched peacefully from 
Colorado College into Acacia Park.  The activists came from thoughout the 
Rocky Mountain region to support the week-long fast of the Rev. Mel 
White, Dean of the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas.  White had 
consumed nothing but water and Gatorade since July 10, but he was to end 
his fast last night by taking holy communion at Pike's Peak MCC." 

"White," the Denver Post reporter continued, "spent the past week in a 
long-distance war of words with James Dobson, founder and president of 
Focus on the Family."  The Post quoted Dobson's claim that all his 
comments about homosexuals "were respectful, caring and compassionate. . 
.but I disagree strongly with many of the goals of this movement and I'm 
entitled to express those perspectives in the public arena."  In 
response, the Post quoted these words from White's reply:  "If there are 
homosexuals who do evil, remember there are heterosexuals who do evil as 
well.  But we don't talk about the 'militant heterosexual agenda' just 
because there are heterosexuals who produce pornography, molest children, 
carry diseases and participate in destructive and dehumanizing sexual 
acts."

Later that day, Mel White was the only guest on a two-hour live call-in 
talk show over KOA-Denver, a 50,000 watt radio station that is heard in 
38 states.  At 10:30 PM, Mel was joined on Channel 11 TV by the Rev. Nori 
Rost, pastor of the Colorado Springs's Pike's Peak MCC Church, for a 
debate with two Focus on the Family officials.  Given the last word, Mel 
White looked at John Eldridge, the Focus Vice President who is a leader 
in this anti-gay movement by radical relious groups "to end gay rights 
forever" and said, "This is not just about gay rights.  It is about human 
rights.  Sincere or not, these men and their allies on the radical 
right are trying to superimpose their fundamentalist moral agenda on the 
entire nation.  And that should be scary for us all."

The highlight of this long, productive seventh day of the fast was an 
interfaith service led by Nori Rost at the Pike's Peak Metropolitan 
Community Church.  After enthusiastic singing by the overflow 
congregation and choir, after prayer and reading of the Scriptures, after 
Mel's sermon on "The Importance of Friendship in These Troubled Times,"  
Pastor Rost led the congregation in communion. 

The service ended.  Mel, Gary, Nori, Samuel and the others who had fasted 
with them broke their fast and headed for a bowl of soup at a nearby 
cafeteria.  En route, Mel said quietly to this reporter, "At communion, I 
asked Jesus to forgive me for anything I had said or done during this 
past week of confrontation that did not reflect His loving spirit.  It 
isn't easy to confront someone like James Dobson.  He is my brother.  I 
will be misunderstood and condemned by him.  Very likely," he added after 
a pause, "through his broadcasts and mailings, I will be misunderstood 
and condemned by millions of others. But I am convinced that what he and 
his friends are saying and doing to end the rights of gays and lesbians 
in this country is morally and spiritually wrong.  I can't be silent." 

As Mel and Gary left the church for their first meal in seven days, a 
PFLAG mother with tears in her eyes grasped Mel's arm and said, We're so 
grateful that you came to Colorado.  My son died of AIDS.  He was a 
wonderful Christian boy, but people at our church rejected him because he 
was gay.  They wouldn't even come to his funeral.  When you stand up to 
people who think like that, you honor my son's memory."    

[Editor's final note: Thanks to all the people who e-mailed me their 
appreciation of this "play by play" account.  A number of you have asked 
me if there's anything you can do to help Mel.  Here are some thoughts:

On Sunday, Focus on the Family took out a full page ad in the Colorado 
Springs to publish Dobson's 5-page attack on White and on all gay and 
lesbian people.  We thought that buying a full page ad to publish Mel's 
response to Dobson would only take $1,700.  So Mel put out an appeal at 
the gay pride march in Colorado Springs, and we very quickly raised 
about $2,000, mostly in the form of $1 and $5 bills, a lot of it from people 
who can't part with $5 lightly. (My partner and I put in $45)

Anyway, it turned out that the ad would cost $3000.  So Mel waived the 
$850 that Ground Zero was going to give him for his travel expenses in 
order to make sure the ad got published. 

As a result, I'm very sure that Mel could use some help, stricltly for 
the organizational expenses he may end up having to pay for personally.  
Anyway, I'm sure checks made out to the "Dean's Fund" at the Cathedral of 
Hope would help a lot, both in helping pay for this last event and to 
facilitate future events.  (Mel is dean at the Cathedral of Hope).  The 
address is:  Dean's Fund, Cathedral of Hope MCC, Box 35466, Dallas, TX, 
75235.  Any amount would help.  If you have enjoyed the "play by play" 
postings and think that having read them was worth, say, $5, then send 
in $5 check to the Dean's Fund.  

Also, if you're interested in coordinating or helping coordinate vigils in 
your area, please include that information in your letter.  (And also 
e-mail to me, so that I'm sure that your offer doesn't fall through 
the cracks.)

There were a number of vigils (around 10, I think) nationwide during 
Mel's fast.  This was critical to getting press coverage of the fast 
across the country.  Newspapers that would not have written about the 
fast did so when they saw that it was creating local action.  In the event 
that Mel does another fast, these local vigils will again be critical.  
And Mel will be counting on local, involved citizens to organize them. 

And if a vigil is too time consuming in the future, please call your 
local newspaper next time you see that Mel is doing a fast protest and 
ask the editor why this news is not in the newspaper.  (In fact, 
complaints to your local newspaper right now for not running a news 
service article on the fast would be great!!)  

So there are some ideas on what everyone can do.  Now aren't you sorry 
you asked? :)  -- Rick ]