Christian denied permission to join 'gay' parade

[Soldier4Christ]

Christian denied permission to join 'gay' parade
Charges hypocrisy, saying homosexuals don't 'accept us for who we are'

A Christian street preacher is charging that the homosexual community in Chicago is guilty of hypocrisy because he was refused permission to march in a June 24 "gay" pride parade.

"I see this as nothing but hypocrisy," said Ruben Israel, who has been at the Chicago event for seven previous years, protesting the homosexual lifestyle choice from the sidewalks.

This year he sought permission to participate, and was refused. He followed up with a statement making the accusation.

"Is this not the same group that demands everyone accept them for who they are?

"Is this not the same group that cries discrimination, if not recognized?

"Is this not the same people that will not accept us for who we are?

"Is this not the same people that demand tolerance?

"Is this not the same group that wishes to walk in Macy's parade and [be] allowed in the 'Boy Scouts?" Israel asked.

Spokesman Richard Pfeiffer for the Chicago homosexual group confirmed to WND that Israel had been rejected.

"We, the gay folk, have the right to exclude them from the parade," Pfeiffer said, adding a U.S. Supreme Court decision gives his group the right to edit the opinions of groups that participate in a sponsored parade.

James Elsman, a lawyer working with Israel, said he wasn't so sure the Chicago homosexual group was correct in that interpretation, especially since Israel has been "participating" in the parade with his protests for a number of years already.

"I have advised Mr. Israel to sue Chicago Pride," he said. "It is my professional opinion that Christian ministers cannot be barred from the Chicago Gay Parade by the organizers…"

"The gays preach 'diversity & inclusion,' and they give unequal protection of the laws to Christians. These preachers want diversity and inclusion, which the gays do not," the lawyer said.

Israel told WND he got the wording for his expression of concern from documentation homosexual groups have used in the past to advocate for their demands of endorsement.

"We are a group that has a different sexual preference and being that this parade is filled with diversity, we considered ourselves welcomed," he said. "And we were wrong."

Israel said when the "gay" community is in a "leadership" position, "they … become dictators and force acceptance of their agenda. I wish to expose this hypocrisy as a double standard for we also love a man, too, and His name is Jesus Christ."

Israel told WND that he is just following the standards for making demands for acceptance set up by the "gay" organizations.

"Most Christians go to church on Sunday and all they know is the four walls of the church. The real world if these people ever take over will be more of a dictatorship. Freedom of speech no longer exists. Freedom of religion no longer exists," he said.

He said the rule of law would be: "You've offended me. I want to shut you down."

An earlier San Francisco Chronicle reporter noted while covering the participation by children with homosexual parents in an Easter Egg hunt in Washington that a Christian couple said their beliefs led them to believe children should be raised by a mother and a father.

Then the reporter noted in the next paragraph that "gay and lesbian families said they hope to change those attitudes…"

[Soldier4Christ]

Homosexual float denied entry in Western Days parade
Committee says gay and lesbian entry inappropriate for family event

It's the first float to be denied entry into the Western Days parade.

While some say the decision was made in defense of conservative values, others say it was simply discrimination against gays and lesbians.

The Western Days Committee rejected a gay and lesbian group's request to participate in the annual Western Days parade that takes place today. The committee said it denied the float entry by the Southern Idaho Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Community Center because it was inappropriate for a family event.

"This is a very conservative region with strong religious values," said Lisa Cuellar, chairwoman of Western Days Committee. "It's nothing against the group itself, but we felt that it was in everybody's best interest not to allow their float in the parade."

But groups such as the Idaho Equality Exploratory Committee, which is a statewide network for the gay and lesbian community, say the committee's decision was based on ignorance and intolerance.

"This is clearly sending a message to GLBT people that they are not welcome in the community," said Andrea Shipley, interim co-coordinator for IEEC.

The IEEC contacted more than 5,000 people throughout Idaho, informing them about the committee's decision and inviting them to a demonstration before the Western Days parade. Travis Riggs, interim co-coordinators for IEEC, said the demonstration will be an opportunity to stand up against the intolerance that led to the committee's decision.

"It's going to be a peaceful demonstration to show that gay people are not the bogeyman," he said. "Right now we are not planning any type of direction to take, but we do want to let people know that we are here."

However, members of the GLBT community were reluctant to even talk with the Times-News about the demonstration because they feared reprisals from anti-gay and lesbian groups.

According to the IEEC, there are about 30 members of the Southern Idaho GLBT Community Center in Twin Falls.

The group's float consisted of a large Styrofoam centerpiece in the shape of Idaho, as well as other cutouts in the shape of cowboy boots, chaps and hats most of the float was painted with rainbow colors.

Cuellar said she never saw the completed float, but she said the celebration committee was concerned about the content on the float and how it would be perceived by the estimated 30,000 people who are expected to attend the parade.

"I don't know what these people are going to look like in the parade or what they will have on the float," Cuellar said.

She added that the float was not representative of the area, even though members from the gay and lesbian community say the population of Twin Falls is changing - including a growing number of gays and lesbians.

"I agree that it's changing," she said. "But I don't think Twin Falls was ready for something like this - I mean, this isn't San Francisco."