Comments on: Seeing the sights of Homo-no-mo http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:53:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Beyond Ex-Gay Memphis Wrap-Up | Ex-Gay Watch http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-7242 Beyond Ex-Gay Memphis Wrap-Up | Ex-Gay Watch Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:59 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-7242 [...] Additional reflections on the weekend have been posted by Peterson Toscano, Bruce Garrett, Christine Bakke and Daniel Gonzales. [...] [...] Additional reflections on the weekend have been posted by Peterson Toscano, Bruce Garrett, Christine Bakke and Daniel Gonzales. [...]

]]> By: Regan DuCasse http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6981 Regan DuCasse Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:56:03 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6981 TOFU BBQ sandwich?!???! Peterson, my brother...eating tofu in Memphis is some kind of sacrilege! I shoulda warned you. Folk might beat ya with a the jawbone of a steer for that. I love you so much, it's a testament to your vegan discipline that you even FOUND tofu in Memphis! But for sharing wonderful veggie meals with you, I won't be too hard on you. I respect every bit of you and your life. This statue is soooo tacky! Thanks for the picture. If I didn't love that beautiful statue so much, I'd point and laugh at the way these people have used it. Still, that's the Bible Road for ya. I know I told you all the "Church of Jesus Christ and Body Shop" story. I guess the folks at this church have forgotten certain creeds that founded this country and inspired that statue. Like religious persecution. No surprise there. Peterson, I hope we talk soon. I miss your voice. TOFU BBQ sandwich?!???!
Peterson, my brother…eating tofu in Memphis is some kind of sacrilege!
I shoulda warned you. Folk might beat ya with a the jawbone of a steer for that.

I love you so much, it’s a testament to your vegan discipline that you even FOUND tofu in Memphis!
But for sharing wonderful veggie meals with you, I won’t be too hard on you. I respect every bit of you and your life.

This statue is soooo tacky! Thanks for the picture. If I didn’t love that beautiful statue so much, I’d point and laugh at the way these people have used it.
Still, that’s the Bible Road for ya. I know I told you all the “Church of Jesus Christ and Body Shop” story.

I guess the folks at this church have forgotten certain creeds that founded this country and inspired that statue. Like religious persecution. No surprise there.
Peterson, I hope we talk soon. I miss your voice.

]]> By: Anon http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6961 Anon Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:38:21 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6961 Having lived in Memphis, I can confirm that the church referred to as “Fort God” and “Six Flags Over Jesus is not the one pictured. No, these two sobriquets concern none other than Bellevue Baptist Church -- www.bellevue.org. Having lived in Memphis, I can confirm that the church referred to as “Fort God” and “Six Flags Over Jesus is not the one pictured. No, these two sobriquets concern none other than Bellevue Baptist Church — http://www.bellevue.org.

]]> By: werdna http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6952 werdna Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:19:57 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6952 Re: Sinclair Lewis on fascism... There's an interesting page here: http://shii.org/knows/Fascism_comes_wrapped_in_the_flag discussing the cloudy origins of the quote that Tom referenced. It appears that Lewis never actually said or wrote it. The Sinclair Lewis Society agrees that it's most likely apocryphal. Doesn't stop it from being mis-attributed all the time, though (heck, sometimes it attributed to Upton Sinclair!). Is the idea less powerful if it's not in the form of a quote from someone that most people these day have never heard of anyway? Re: Sinclair Lewis on fascism… There’s an interesting page here: http://shii.org/knows/Fascism_comes_wrapped_in_the_flag discussing the cloudy origins of the quote that Tom referenced. It appears that Lewis never actually said or wrote it. The Sinclair Lewis Society agrees that it’s most likely apocryphal. Doesn’t stop it from being mis-attributed all the time, though (heck, sometimes it attributed to Upton Sinclair!). Is the idea less powerful if it’s not in the form of a quote from someone that most people these day have never heard of anyway?

]]> By: Bruce Garrett http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6913 Bruce Garrett Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:19:23 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6913 <i>I did a full-on gay gasp as we were driving down the street and I saw the statue emerge from behind the gas station! I live for sights like this.</i> I saw a similar sight, and I deeply regret not getting a photo of it. When Christine and I were out getting frames and such for the art show, I saw on the tall billboard by I-40 and Bellevue a sign that read: <blockquote>God Loves You Just The Way You Are</blockquote> The words were inscribed above a photo of about a half dozen or so happy looking people, all smiling down on the highway traffic passing by. It was amazingly ironic, Bellevue being one of the sponsors of Love In Action. I really wanted to climb up there and spray paint <i>...But Change Is Possible</i> on it. I didn't have time to grab a shot of it, and when I left Memphis on Monday morning that billboard had been replaced. Drat. I did a full-on gay gasp as we were driving down the street and I saw the statue emerge from behind the gas station! I live for sights like this.

I saw a similar sight, and I deeply regret not getting a photo of it. When Christine and I were out getting frames and such for the art show, I saw on the tall billboard by I-40 and Bellevue a sign that read:

God Loves You Just The Way You Are

The words were inscribed above a photo of about a half dozen or so happy looking people, all smiling down on the highway traffic passing by. It was amazingly ironic, Bellevue being one of the sponsors of Love In Action. I really wanted to climb up there and spray paint …But Change Is Possible on it.

I didn’t have time to grab a shot of it, and when I left Memphis on Monday morning that billboard had been replaced. Drat.

]]> By: TJ McFisty http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6903 TJ McFisty Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:40:32 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6903 Well, we did used to call that church (when it was simply "Central Church" which I think moved) Space Mountain Church, but you guys did miss the behemoth out in Collierville/Germantown--dunno if it's still Bellevue Baptist (Adrian Rogers' before he died), but it was definitely Church of Big Fat God 'n' Spa. Can't miss it from the interstate for the skyscraper-sized crosses. I do agree about the friendly part, and honestly, after living in DC for the past 15 years, I do miss the driving there. Way way way more courteous than here and understand what four-way stops and yield signs mean. Little bad on the left turns nowadays, I hear, but that was always a local game for Memphians--how many can get through that left arrow? Everyone! Yay! Well, we did used to call that church (when it was simply “Central Church” which I think moved) Space Mountain Church, but you guys did miss the behemoth out in Collierville/Germantown–dunno if it’s still Bellevue Baptist (Adrian Rogers’ before he died), but it was definitely Church of Big Fat God ‘n’ Spa. Can’t miss it from the interstate for the skyscraper-sized crosses.

I do agree about the friendly part, and honestly, after living in DC for the past 15 years, I do miss the driving there. Way way way more courteous than here and understand what four-way stops and yield signs mean. Little bad on the left turns nowadays, I hear, but that was always a local game for Memphians–how many can get through that left arrow? Everyone! Yay!

]]> By: Barry http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6893 Barry Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:16:54 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6893 The church building in the background is where I attended my ex-gay group, but that statue (pictured) was not there at that time. That congregation grew and moved east several miles and a different congregation now occupies the building. It is the new congregation that put up the statue. The church building in the background is where I attended my ex-gay group, but that statue (pictured) was not there at that time. That congregation grew and moved east several miles and a different congregation now occupies the building. It is the new congregation that put up the statue.

]]> By: Tom http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6888 Tom Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:02:33 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6888 The first thing that came to mind when I saw that photo was this Sinclair Lewis quote: "When fascism come to America, it will be wrapped in the flag carrying a cross." The first thing that came to mind when I saw that photo was this Sinclair Lewis quote:

“When fascism come to America, it will be wrapped in the flag carrying a cross.”

]]> By: Jim Burroway http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6887 Jim Burroway Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:51:11 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6887 I did a full-on gay gasp as we were driving down the street and I saw the statue emerge from behind the gas station! I live for sights like this. As for embarrassemnt for being from Memphis, I can say this: it has to be the friendliest city in the U.S. Everyone from the hotel people to the security guards at the airport went out of their way to show a friendly face. And the city is genuinely beautiful, Graceland and tacky Liberty's and all. The airport, on the other hand... well, I've seen Mexican bus stations run better than this one. Oh well. I did a full-on gay gasp as we were driving down the street and I saw the statue emerge from behind the gas station! I live for sights like this.

As for embarrassemnt for being from Memphis, I can say this: it has to be the friendliest city in the U.S. Everyone from the hotel people to the security guards at the airport went out of their way to show a friendly face. And the city is genuinely beautiful, Graceland and tacky Liberty’s and all.

The airport, on the other hand… well, I’ve seen Mexican bus stations run better than this one. Oh well.

]]> By: Robguy http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465/comment-page-1#comment-6885 Robguy Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:03:22 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/25/1465#comment-6885 When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a photoshop spoof. Frightening. When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a photoshop spoof. Frightening.

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