Homosexuals planned Christian harassment
'OutFest' organizers announced efforts
to block protesters now facing prison


Posted: January 10, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Homosexual "OutFest" organizers in Philadelphia announced plans in advance
of
their October 2004 street festival to block Christians from access to the
publicly sponsored event where 11 members of Repent America were arrested,
five
being charged with a series of misdemeanors and felonies that could put
them in
jail for 47 years.

As WorldNetDaily reported, the group was "preaching God's Word" to a crowd
of
people attending the Oct. 10, 2004, event and displaying banners with
biblical
messages.


After a confrontation with a group called the Pink Angels, described by
protesters as "a militant mob of homosexuals," the 11 Christians, members
of
Repent America, were arrested and taken into custody.

Eight charges were filed: criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments
of
crime, reckless endangerment of another person, ethnic intimidation, riot,
failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways.

None of the Pink Angels were cited or arrested.

After a preliminary hearing in December, Judge William Austin Meehan
ordered
four of the adult Christians to stand trial on three felony and five
misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could get a maximum of 47 years in
prison. A fifth juvenile has been ordered to stand trial in the juvenile
justice system facing the same eight counts.

But, according to an article in the Philadelphia Gay News days before the
street festival, homosexual organizers were planning to block Christians
from
access to the event.

Chuck Volz, senior adviser to Philly Pride Presents, told the publication
the
Pink Angels security force would carry large signs alongside the
Christians to
surround them and block their access to OutFest participants.

"We'll have a pink wall around them," he said. "Hopefully, they will be so
frustrated they won't come again. Talking to a piece of Styrofoam is not
the
same as talking to a crowd of people."

Volz also made clear that "diversity" was not the goal of the street
festival.

"It's our event, and we're not going to permit vendors or community groups
that
conflict with the theme of the event," he said. He said welcoming
Christians to
the street festival would be analogous to a black event welcoming white
supremacists.

Police said they would have cordoned off the permitted area for OutFest,
preventing protesters from attending, had event organizers obtained an
injunction from a judge. But OutFest organizers did not get an injunction.

Dan Anders, an attorney for Philly Pride Presents, said: "Our position is
that
they are not welcome to attend, they haven't been invited to attend, and
we
would rather that they protest the event from outside the permitted area."

Volz admitted in the report that OutFest organizers didn't have a leg to
stand
on in keeping out people exercising their First Amendment rights in a
public
venue.

"Given the parameters of the First Amendment, there's no way to keep them
out,"
he said. "I think the gay community should understand that the gay-rights
movement has succeeded because people are permitted free speech under the
First
Amendment. We can't be in a position of denying people the right to
compete
with us in the marketplace of ideas."

"This is one of the most remarkable and unlawful actions by police that I
have
ever witnessed," said Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America.
"Their
blatant disregard of the law by allowing hecklers to impede our way, block
our
message and then arrest us, is inexcusable, especially by police officers
who
are specially trained to protect civil rights.

"Christians are now being labeled as 'haters' and any speech that
homosexuals
perceive to be intimidating, such as our Christian witness at OutFest,
makes
them a prime target for 'hate crimes legislation.'"

Continued Marcavage: "We are clearly 'not guilty' of these crimes, and
with the
help of our video footage, we shall be vindicated of these trumped-up
charges."