August 30th, 2011
Ex-gay extremist and former Brownsville Revival leader Michael Brown protested last Saturday’s Pride celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he did not like what he saw:
How many other community groups feature prominent performances by drag queens at their events? Can you imagine crowds at an Hispanic Pride event, or Black Pride event, or Asian Pride event — just to name a few — being entertained by men wearing dresses (or less), hot pink wigs, and matching knee-high boots? And this is part of the LGBT’s strategy “to promote acceptance”? How telling. And how telling that, unmentioned by the Observer, there was a large truck stationed next to the festival offering “Free HIV Testing.” Yes, just another typical community event.
. . . It is also a bit disconcerting to watch young men greet each other with exclamations of “Hey girl!” before exchanging pecks on the cheek. (Does your average child find it confusing to hear men call each other “girls”?).
Alvin McEwen doubts Brown’s veracity:
Lastly that comment about young men greeting each other with exclamations of “Hey Girl” before kissing each other on the cheeks simply cannot be true. He forgot to mention that after we kiss each other on the cheek, we finger snap in Z-formations.
By the way, they had free HIV testing at the NAACP’s national convention last month in Los Angeles. “How telling,” as they say.
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Kathy Baldock
August 30th, 2011
my comment on his article, I was there and will be writing a full blog:
The WORST behavior I saw from ANY group was from the Christian street preachers. THE MOST HATEFUL MOCKING people I have EVER encountered. EVER. When they were not quoting Scripture , they were often mocking. I thought the group at Pride Charlotte was absolutely fine. Come to a” Farmer’s market ” evening in my city where at about 5 the heterosexuals come out with all their antics. The women are WORSE dressed than anything I saw at Pride Charlotte. Brown has a HUGE issue with the trans community and focuses on them excessively. He was seen taking pictures only of the “off color” booths, not the pottery or art or tours, or catering, or crafts, or PFLAGS, or churches, or recycling or hat, or jewelry booths. Just the ones that would tickle the fancy of the gawkers. There were MAYBE 200 hundred marchers including the 26 non red shirte…d street evangelists. I sat across the street and watched and counted. And actually cried as the group entered Pride. God’s people marching in “love” on God’s other people. I will be blogging. And I have been AIDS tested as should EVERY heterosexual woman. We are the FASTEST growing segment of infection. And I am celibate and I STILL love myself enough to get tested. And the comment to the Mom with kids—there is another way to take the comment that you completely missed—it would be saying–you say we’ re evil YET you bring your kids in here? And a few of your street evangelist young women LIED directly to me when I asked what group they were part of. They engaged me, I answered and asked why they were there and if they came up from GHABW. No, they said. Well, sweetie pies. I was sitting on the wall of the building as you walked by and took your picture. If you want me to listen, then don’t lie, about ANYTHING. GHABW was intrusive and ineffective, just my opinion. I am SURE I extended more offers to come back to church and Jesus than your 200 did. Because it was done in love. REAL love. And once people get near God again , HE can convict. The Rainbow Promise was deceptive–go read the comments on the site already. Handing someone a 6 oz bottle of water is not “relationship” and gawking and congregating with you co red shirters is not engaging. Even the street evangelists gave ME a hard time ‘do you think the Bible is the word of God?” was as creative an opening as they could muster. PLEASE. I LIVE to serve Him. It may not be to the liking of some here, but it IS effective. Want to reach out in love–then learn grace. Learn is so deeply that is POURS out of your every PORE instead of silent judgment. Want to resist the gay agenda with courage? Then go back to the Christian fundamentalist in the 70’s that created it as a money maker to their own coffers. One of the MAIN instruments for that manipulation was on the phone with my board on Thursday night confessing his part in it all. Demonizing glbt people STILL makes money —-God people NEVER need a devil–people of the flesh do. People who want to control do. Statistically 84 % of those people at Pride were raised in churches. Want to know why most are no longer there? No because THEY don’t want to be—many of your FORCE them out. Choose: God or your orientation. They CANNOT change orientation and you MAKE them make a choice. I spent ALL day saying COME BACK, Jesus LOVES you. You should see my inbox–hope, joy, excitement. God does have a much better way. If you can’t figure it out, GET OUT OF THE WAY, because a revival IS hitting the glbt Christian community and more are finding their way around you to find it. AMEN.
Ravenbiker
August 30th, 2011
Clearly, Michael Brown has no concept of entertainment. The other “prides” have their own cultural versions of it. And,of course, he ignores the average joe. Isn’t it clear that gay pride embraces ALL people—even the cheap street preacher.
Regan DuCasse
August 30th, 2011
Thank you, Kathy! Good to hear from someone who was there.
Obviously, the anti gay are extreme in their prurience. And M. Brown is certainly no exception.
I wonder what these people would do with their lives if there weren’t any gay people?
And you are so right about women being a VERY vulnerable risk group for HIV/AIDS. I participate in the Black Women’s Health Study, and all over again a disenfranchised minority is at the most risk of preventable and treatable diseases of all kinds.
Gay men and black women, certainly have that unfortunate issue in common.
And, I can think of few parades that don’t resemble each other for whatever reason they are celebrated.
Guess M. Brown has never attended Mardis Gras, a religiously sanctioned celebration and encouragement of debauchery before one has to spend 40 days in Lenten deprivation.
Guess he’s never gone to a Mummer’s Parade, where dressing in drag is part of the traditional entertainment.
Pride, is perhaps an exception in that it doesn’t have religious origins.
Even different faith communities understand cutting loose to travel on the wild side.
Purim for Jews
Rumspringa for Amish youth.
But it’s more prurient, of course, to paint gay people and the Pride parades as examples that ONLY the gay community is invested in 24/7 hedonism, with or without an annual expression of it.
What I’m more annoyed at, is that the anti gay are THAT stupid not to see how little difference there really is.
And they aren’t insulted that Brown is treating them as if they ARE too stupid to know this, or call him on it.
William
August 30th, 2011
I’m fascinated by this business of handing out free bottles of water. There’s a supposed “ex-gay†here in the UK who runs his own counselling service to “help†people to become heterosexual and who says that he hands out water to gays on such occasions, as well as praying for them and even washing their feet (I wonder if he’s got a video of that). Is this the anti-gay brigade’s latest way of trying to prove that their attitude towards us isn’t really as despicable as it seems? If so, then it’s a decided failure.
Mr Brown, Dr Brown, Pastor Brown – or whatever title you prefer – you say that God has a better way. It seems to me that your idea of better, which apparently includes pushing the “ex-gay†fraud, is anything but. Also, when you say that GOD has a better way, it sounds as though the very sharp distinction between yourself and God is becoming blurred, a process which is theologically unsound. You need to correct this error.
David S.
August 30th, 2011
How very superficial….
William Lindsey
August 31st, 2011
What an interesting crusade Mr. Brown has undertaken: to weed out all cross-gender usages in our language.
Since he objects to guys calling each other “girl” and finds this confusing for children, I assume he’s now going to turn his attention to groups of women referring to each other as “you guys”?
That has to cause tremendous pain and suffering to children’s ears, when they hear it.
Regan DuCasse
August 31st, 2011
LOL! GOOD one, William!
Timothy Kincaid
August 31st, 2011
well, actually it is a bit telling. And also a whole lot necessary.
The black community is currently hit harder than anyone by this virus, not only in numbers (which are staggering) but also because, yet again, in a tough economy it seems that the black worker’s job is somehow a bit more expendible and the African American community is stuggling worse than many others. And HIV drugs aren’t cheap.
And the Black Church (okay a quick prayer to get my temper under control) has been, let’s say, less than fully engaged in the battle.
Thankfully, the NAACP stepped up. And just as once the gay community learned to think “I’m gay, I’d better get tested” the black community needs to make that connection.
However… Brown’s insinuation is just evil. Only a heart full of darkness would see people – gay, black, or whatever – taking care of themselves, being responsible, and showing mercy as some indication of inferiority.
Janice C
September 6th, 2011
My brother Christian, Reverend Brown. I have seen you many place’s, many times, moving forward with your personal quest to preach salvation to people of cultures and lifestyles you don’t agree with. I agree with you that it is your right under the first amendment of the constitution of these United States of America to voice your opinion.
But let me ask you since I was in Charlotte myself observing your parade of sin that you and your followers are committing against GOD. You know as well as I do that it is not your right to judge another. That my friend is against GODS law and you have violated his trust in you as a man of the cloth.. Michael its not to late for you and the Fire Church to heel the wounds that you inflicted on innocent people.
Let me say one more thing, it was shameful and embarrassing for me as a Christian and an American when you interrupted the National Anthem of our country, during the Pride Charlotte opening ceremony. This my unthinking friend was a sin against the very country that gives you the right of free speech. May GOD have mercy on your soul.
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