The Vigil in the Times

I understand a number of the local TV news shows carried yesterday's vigil, and a several reporters from the print media were there, too.

Wasn't it interesting how the Washington Times wrote up the conference and vigil?

The Times, a mouthpiece of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's very conservative Moon Unification Church, always takes the hard-right road, especially on things like homosexuality that the Reverend has determined to be immoral and reprehensible. So you just know how The Times is going to write this up: wonderful, respectful, thoughtful, moral people inside the church -- dirty, foul-mouthed libertines outside protesting.

You'd think that. Well, they started like you'd expect:

An evangelical Christian pro-family group held a conference on homosexuality yesterday in Silver Spring, emphasizing that homosexuals can choose to change their sexual preference and live as heterosexuals.

More than 700 people came to Immanuel's Church for "Love Won Out," conducted by Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based group founded by in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson.

The conference sought to assist those struggling with their sexuality and help with their chosen conversion to a heterosexual lifestyle. Homosexuality a choice, group contends - By Tarron Lively

There were few more paragraphs like that, red meat for the true believers.

I keep looking at that headline, and thinking that whoever wrote it must know how absurd it sounds. Like, "Color of sky a choice, group contends." I mean, nobody really thinks homosexuality is a choice ... do they?

But what about those cheerful people outside?

Outside the church, about 70 pro-homosexual residents, elected officials and religious leaders held a vigil across the street.

Love that "pro-homosexual" thing, that's pure Peter Sprigg. I don't know if he's got it copyrighted, but it's his, all right.

Funny, I was standing out there, and I'm not "pro-homosexual," whatever in the world that is supposed to be. That'd be like being pro-nighttime, or pro-oxygen, or pro-anything-you-can't-do-anything-about-anyway. I'm pro-truth. I'm pro-understanding. Sorry to say it, but I don't feel one way or the other about homosexuality, or about gay people, or whatever they're trying to imply here. And I was out there, and there were lots of other straight people who, I think, believe more or less like I do about this stuff. Some of us just oppose mean, hateful lies, in general.

Mmm, the rest of this is actually not bad.

Passing motorists honked their horns in support of the protesters, who held signs reading, "It's OK to be gay" and "Focus on your own family."

Deborah Mizeur of Takoma Park held a large, framed wedding photo of her and her partner, Heather, who is running for the Maryland House of Delegates. Miss Mizeur said she was disheartened by Focus on the Family's promotion of "hatred and division."

"There so many young people who want to be true to themselves, and they're getting pressure from their parents and the church to deny who they are," she said. "I'm a Christian and a lesbian, and the church that I go to, and the Jesus that I know, loves all people."

Dan Furmansky, the executive director of Equality Maryland, which organized the vigil, said its goal was to "call Focus on the Family on the lies that they spread."

"Every mainstream, accredited mental-health organization has discredited conversion therapy," he said. "It's been called potentially dangerous to the people it claims to help. It's not a debate."

Delegate Gareth E. Murray, Montgomery County Democrat, joined the demonstration and said that he is concerned that youths in need of guidance are outcast.

"God made each and every one of us, and God loves each and every one of us -- unconditionally," said Mr. Murray, who is also a minister. "If there's a child in the congregation dealing with sexual orientation issues, will that child be led to speak to someone at the church?"

Of course they tucked this part down in the bottom of the story, after the usual stuff, but at least they included some statements, and I liked the fact that they acknowledged that people driving by honked and waved and gave support to us on the sidewalk.