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May. 02, 2005
700 protest Focus’ stance on gays
Officer Daryl Johnson, second from left, speaks with a representative of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, who declined to identify himself, as Karl Hockenbarger, back to camera, demonstrates Sunday. Hockenbarger, from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., said the representative assaulted him.
By DEEDEE CORRELL and PERRY SWANSON - THE GAZETTE
Focus on the Family is polluting the country with toxic lies about homosexuality, gay Christian activists charged Sunday as they rallied outside the ministry’s Colorado Springs headquarters.
An estimated 700 people attended the protest, designed to challenge Focus founder James Dobson’s teachings as hurtful to people struggling to reconcile their sexuality with their faith.
“He began as a wonderful family counselor,” said the Rev. Mel White, founder of Soulforce, a national gay rights group that organized the protesters. “He’s become a danger to himself and the nation.”
Focus officials said they welcomed the debate but haven’t changed their minds about opposing gay rights and samesex marriage.
“Focus will never change its position, because the Bible hasn’t changed its position,” said Focus spokeswoman Melissa Fryrear.
Also present Sunday was a group of nine protesters from the Topeka, Kan.-based West- boro Baptist Church, who protested Soulforce and Focus, the latter for not sufficiently condemning gays.
Their neon-colored “God Hates Fags” signs dueled for attention, but Colorado Springs police kept the Westboro protesters at a distance from the Soulforce group, which had a permit to close Explorer Drive in front of Focus.
About 140 officers were on hand Sunday but reported no arrests or problems.
Soulforce supporters said they are tired of some Christians claiming a moral high ground on gay issues.
“I’m here with my mother and father who love me and accept me as I am,” said Jacob Reitan, 23, of Eden Prairie, Minn.
But others don’t experience that support, thanks to Focus’s teachings that turn parents against their children, he said.
That, in turn, leads to a sense of isolation and depression that causes some to take their lives, White said. He described a suicide note by a man who wrote: “I don’t know how else to fix this.”
The suicide rate among gay teens is three times greater among gay teens than among straight teens, according to Soulforce.
The causes of suicide are often complex, Fryrear said. She said Focus urges parents to love their gay and lesbian children without condoning their sexual orientation.
Homosexuality is a mental disorder and can be cured, said Tom Minnery, vice president for public policy at Focus.
“It’s a psychological issue, rooted mostly in early childhood,” he said. “But thousands have come out of it.”
Minnery said Focus has more of a disagreement with the representatives of Westboro than they do with Soulforce.
“Oh yeah, they’re nasty people,” he said.
In addition to protesting near Focus, nine members of the Westboro Baptist Church also held protests at Colorado Springs churches Saturday and Sunday, telling parishioners to “go to hell” and drawing responses that ranged from aggression to mockery.
The protesters mainly focused on their belief that homosexuality is sinful. They accused members of other churches of supporting gays and called their churches “whorehouses.” At St. Mary’s Cathedral, they celebrated the death of Pope John Paul II.
The Westboro group plans to picket today at Palmer High School, City Hall and several other places.
Sunday’s ideological debate outside Focus on the Family didn’t thwart Colorado Springs’ consumer bent Sunday. Shoppers flowed easily into the nearby Shops at Briargate.
Police said they set up protester parking on the closed section of Explorer Drive to ensure that spots at the mall could be saved for customers. The Shops at Briargate and surrounding businesses did beef up security for the event, but no problems were reported.
In nearby neighborhoods, most people seemed more concerned with staying warm than the protests. Some said they didn’t know about the demonstration, and those who did shrugged it off as an issue that doesn’t affect them.
“Frankly, it’s none of my business,” said Charlie Freeman, who lives in Pine Creek Village. “I have some strong traditional values, but my take is, we all need to get along.”
The Soulforce demonstration had the support of the Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Community Center, whose volunteers helped staff the rally. Executive director Linda Devocelle said the center’s employees will not participate in today’s planned civil disobedience.
Soulforce plans to return to Focus this morning to deliver about 1,000 letters written by gays describing how Dobson’s teachings have adversely affected them. Focus employees will be at work, but the ministry will not be open for public tours.
Soulforce members have pledged nonviolent civil disobedience if they’re not allowed inside.
Staff writers Pam Zubeck, Jane
Reuter and Tom Roeder
contributed to this report.
SOULFORCE ACTION IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CONFRONTING THE UNTRUTHS OF JAMES DOBSON AND FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
Weekend of May 1, 2005 (MAYDAY! MAYDAY!)
You and your family are invited to join Soulforce for a weekend packed with speakers, singers, and vigils celebrating all types of families and confronting Dobson’s untruths about same-gender families.
Hundreds of same-gender couples and families, as well as our single friends and allies, are expected to converge on Colorado Springs, CO during the weekend of May 1.
http://www.soulforce.org/index.shtml
8:30 a.m. 1/27/05 - They're back... Coffey & Alisha are "ON"-
The very popular KVUU 99.9 morning team is back at the microphone this morning, and they are mad at some of the media! At approximately 7:30 this morning, audio of numerous voice-mails received by the station, all positive and supportive of the morning team, were played on-air. This was followed by operations manager Bob Richards giving a public statement. This would not normally be done in situations involving disciplinary actions, but because some news media organization had "incorrect reports" according to Richards, an announcement was thought to be best.
Richards talked about what happened, why they were taken off, and why they were allowed to come back. Yes... they are back!
The voices of Coffey & Alisha, gone for two days, were once again heard by their listeners. But, also in the studio at a microphone was operations manager Bob Richards, their boss. And he wanted to "clear the air". First came the small talk... the whys, whats, hows, whos, whens and wheres... which then led up to the "Big One"!
Richards had cued up a tape. Not just any tape. It was a tape of Coffey responding to a question which was asked by another KVUU dejay during an on-air phone call. During that call Coffey said, "Our boss, Bob Richards, is a small man with a small mentality." And now Richards was replaying this on-air, because he wanted to, "...clear the air before we move on."
After hearing the tape, there was much umming and ahhing, but it ended with a studio group hug. Richards summed it up with a ,"...let's put it behind us" remark.
Before they moved into their first music set of the morning they did discuss the article about them in today's Gazette. I haven't read it yet, but they were not too happy with it, calling it "Bogus".
So, they're back, with nothing more than, in Coffey's words, a "Major slap on the hand".
Until next time, because in radio, there is always a next time...
8:45 a.m. 1/26/05 - They followed up on "The Sponge" -
I figured that someone would do a follow-up on the KVUU morning show DJ/SpongeBob/Focus on the Family issue. I ran my couple of blogicles yesterday, one at 10:30 a.m. with an update at 12:30 p.m., and KKTV took the baton for their 5:30 p.m. newscast.
Screenshots from KKTV
The "SpongeBob Controversy" aired first, last night at precisely 5:34 p.m.
David Nancarrow went live from the scene of more local protesting.
But this time the protesting was more for the KVUU DJ's who were taken off the air on Tuesday, because of what happened at the protest against Focus on the Family, on Monday.
It was good that KKTV did their follow-up report. I got to see the costume that was worn and sign that was carried at FOF on Monday.
Nancarrow even had additional information that I hadn't reported, and talked with others at KVUU who I hadn't talked with. Dare I say, "A nice tag team effort involving the number #1 news station at 10 p.m. and the number #1 media oriented website at 10 p.m. I'm not claiming that KKTV got their initial "tip" from reading News Blab, but I wouldn't have minded if they did. That's what it's all about... Nice report KKTV!
12:30 p.m. 1/25/05 - Are KVUU DJs Coffey & Alisha "OUT"?, update -
Clear Channel KVUU operations manager Bob Richards returned my phone call. In a nutshell, here is what our discussion was about.
I told him I had heard rumors that Coffey and Alisha were involved in a SpongeBob "protest" of sorts at the Focus on the Family facility which occurred yesterday morning. I added that I had heard they were being taken off the air because of this "protest". I told him I had heard his taped message, similar to one he had given about another radio DJ team, who were taken off the air.
He told me that Coffey and Alisha had approached him about the idea. He agreed to let them do it as long as they followed one specific rule, "Stay off the 'Focus on the Family' property". Well, he said they didn't follow that rule, and police were called in at yesterday's event. That is why they were "OFF" today.
I then asked for confirmation that they were indeed being taken off the air for good. Mr. Richards advised me that this was not yet a decision that had been made. Issues are still being discussed.
So, there you have it... and my thanks to Mr. Bob Richards for returning my call, and providing me with the update. I greatly appreciate your time and answers.
10:30 a.m. 1/25/05 - Are two popular morning show DJs "OUT" because of a stunt played at "Focus on the Family"? -
What may have started out as a prank, may have led to an "OUT" of another kind. Purportedly, the very popular Clear Channel owned KVUU 99.9 morning show team, Coffey & Alisha, may be out! A taped announcement heard during the morning show scheduled time, by operations manager Bob Richards said they were, "OFF". The last time he was heard giving a similar taped message, another radio team/crew/show was "OFF".
According to that previous 9News story, "Listeners expecting to hear "The Locker Room" instead heard the following message; "This is Bob Richards, program director for 106.7 KBPI. As of today "The Locker Room" morning show is off. By early next week KBPI management will make an announcement regarding the future of the morning air shift. Thank you for your past and continued support of 106.7 KBPI.”
Richards, on the KVUU taped message, says a more detailed announcement will be given this Thursday about the morning show. And why is this all happening? Purportedly, the KVUU morning show DJs were associated with a "protest" of sorts at Focus on the Family yesterday, where a person dressed as SpongeBob Squarepants was seen near that FOF facility. A listener told me that the KVUU DJs played up this "protest" during their entire show, with live phone interviews, and the such.
News Blab has left voice mail to Mr. Richards in the hopes my call will be returned. I can then update this blogicle, and get another side. FYI - Last year Clear Channel had problems because of another sponge. According to numerous news reports, Clear Channel was fined $755,000 in 2004 for comments made by a Tampa, Fla., radio personality known as "Bubba the Love Sponge."
Stay tuned...
SpongeBob's "We Are Family" music video, to be sent to public schools in March with its message of tolerance and diversity, is under attack by conservative Christian groups.
This week two Colorado Springs deejays were yanked from the air after sending a costumed SpongeBob SquarePants to the campus of Focus on the Family to protest. The cartoon invertebrate's creator describes him as "asexual." Focus says they know better.
Elsewhere on the perv beat, it turns out "Saving Private Ryan" is not indecent. The Federal Communications Commission voted to deny complaints against 159 ABC affiliates, including Denver's KMGH-Channel 7, that aired the film on Veterans Day. Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning film about the World War II invasion of Normandy isn't shameful after all.
The FCC also rejected 36 complaints about shows like "The Simpsons," "Friends" and "Dawson's Creek." The common nickname for Richard, used as an epithet, is acceptable on broadcast TV. So is a glimpse of a cartoon character's animated backside.
All these decisions deflated the Parents Television Council, which is atwitter over indecency and wants broadcasters more severely punished.
The sooner the FCC returns to regulating media monopolies, the better. And the Department of Education might want to get back to, say, literacy.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings took office Monday. On Tuesday, she went after lesbian mommies shown on the animated PBS kids' show, "Postcards From Buster," which gets funds from the federal Ready-to-Learn program.
Spellings denounced PBS for spending public money on a cartoon that took note of lesbians, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such "lifestyles."
The upcoming episode of "Postcards From Buster," a spinoff of "Arthur," shows the cartoon bunny on a trip to Vermont. In the series about diversity, Buster regularly looks in on different regions and cultures in a live-action segment. He's been to 24 states and has visited with Mormons, a Hmong family, Native Americans, fundamentalist Christians, Muslims, kids raised by a grandparent and so on.
In Vermont, where same-sex civil unions are recognized, Buster encounters children being raised by lesbian moms and much maple sugaring.
PBS caved, declining to put the episode on the network. "You can't disregard the fact that this is a hot-button issue in America right now," said John Wilson, PBS senior vice president of programming.
In Denver, KBDI-Channel 12 expects to run it Sunday, March 27 at 8 a.m. "If red flags go up I would pull it. Our whole mission is to promote tolerance," said program manager Kirby McClure. KRMA-
Channel 6 will preview the episode before making a decision.
Spellings has set her radical agenda. The incoming education secretary warned PBS: "You can be assured that in the future the department will be more clear as to its expectations for any future programming that it funds."
Postcard from Spellings: no underwriting of gay themes.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-820-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com .
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~122~2678060,00.html
Q in the News
After a Successful Debut, Queer Lounge Poised for a Triumphant ...
http://press.arrivenet.com/ent/article.php/550625.html
Q TV adds biography program "IN FOQUS"
http://ec.gayalliance.org/articles/000761.shtml
Take this crap to the Bull
If you do not like this stock sell it, then shove off.
I stoped reading the RB because of this kind of posts.
Is Here TV a threat to Q-TV?
Sub Penny Stock screener?
I am looking for a web site or a software program that can screen by last trade price = .0001. The screeners that I have looked at do not work well with the price set that low.
Some good DD from the Bull
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=CTKH&read=68473