Soulforce Update: Dr. Dobson, here we come

First… the national gay media finally caught up to what I blogged about a week ago. 365gay.com News has an article up about the Liberty University trespassing charges and, now, convictions. We were all convicted and fined more than $200 each.

Now the update: On July 22, 2006, Soulforce will have its “1000 Watt Vigil and Concert” with guest appearances by openly gay actor and activist Chad Allen (”Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman), Broadway Star Billy Porter and the mother of Matthew Shepard and Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Judy Shepard. Ms. Shepard’s appearance was announced today.

Soulforce is also planning a week-long march from July 17 to July 21 from Denver to Colorado Springs, where the vigil and concert will be held. Colorado Springs is also the home-base of Focus on the Family, started by the infamously anti-LGBT Dr. James Dobson.

This, explaining a little more, from the Soulforce website:

James Dobson’s organization, Focus on the Family, has done much to help heterosexual families around the world. However, Focus on the Family, is also one of the world’s primary sources of defamation against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people and same-gender families. The misinformation that flows from Dobson’s radio and television broadcasts reaches millions of people each day in approximately 162 countries and 21 languages. Focus on the Family’s massive collection of books, pamphlets, audio/visual materials, and websites depicts LGBT people as miserable, lonely, disordered, sick, and sinful. Focus on the Family is also one of the primary financiers of the so-called “ex-gay” movement, and travels the country misrepresenting the scientific research on sexuality to thousands of people. Positive images and stories of LGBT people, committed long-term couples, and same-gender parents are never portrayed; giving people the false impression that gays and lesbians are unhealthy, broken and in need of “repair.” Focus on the Family has powerful political establishments, called “Family Policy Councils,” in approximately 40 states who work to prevent equality for LGBT people. These groups often lead the discriminatory political campaigns that pass constitutional amendments banning same-gender marriage, and work daily to strip away the civil liberties that protect our families and the freedoms of all Americans.

That’s why Soulforce is gathering thousands of people for a nonviolent direct action on July 22, 2006. Actor and activist Chad Allen and Judy Shepard, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, will lead the march to Focus on the Family, and Broadway Star Billy Porter will perform his amazing and powerful evening concert of jazz, rhythm, and blues in front of Dobson’s complex. Lifting our voices in word and song, we will gather to show the public the loving and vibrant spirit of our community and peacefully call all fair-minded Americans to resist injustice. Throughout history, fundamentalists have misused religion to discriminate against people of color, women, and interracial families. Now, gays and lesbians are the target of their oppression. Together, we must peacefully demand that America learn from history and end religion based discrimination.

Click here for more about the events and Soulforce

I’ll be fortunate enough to attend these events in July, hopefully. I’ve signed up with Soulforce to be the one of the organizers for an up-coming direct action event and I am supposed to be going to Colorado Springs for some training during this time. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take my laptop and get some internet. I’d love to provide updates of the events and my experiences with the trainings.

Posted in Soulforce/Equality Ride |