My PHOTOS from the Soulforce rally outside Focus on the Family today.

[intheflow]

Soulforce staged a rally and march at James Dobson's Focus on the Family today
in Colorado Springs.

The local media said there were 500 pro-gay activists, but it seemed more like
1000 people to me. Scroll right to get the panoramic view:




Signs of the Times:





And all the way from South Dakota! :thumbsup:


A good showing by churches. The UCC in Denver cancelled regular services and
rented buses to bring people down. I got decent photos of the UCCs' banner
(but not their minister) and the UU and MCC ministers, but the photos
I took of Mel White, a Catholic priest, and the
Episcopals didn't come out. :(



This is one of the local UU ministers.


This is one of the ministers at Pikes Peak MCC.


People Shots:

2 Two Spirits:


I think this is Jeff Lutes, who wrote "A FALSE FOCUS ON MY FAMILY:
Why every person of faith should be deeply troubled by Dr. James Dobson

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Great photos!

Great rally and wow a holocaust survivor there! I wouldn't be surprised if the rally was larger. The media always tries to downlplay the rallies. :eyes:

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Wow, great pictures!!!

More and more UU churches are becoming Welcoming Congregations and I think that's great and long overdue!

Oh and Dobson and his ilk need to focus on their OWN damn families!!!

[intheflow]

7. More UCC churches are becoming welcoming churches.

The UUs have been ordaining openly GBLTs since the '70's. :D

This UCC church is very open and affirming of GBLTs. One of their ministers is a lesbian, and they have another community kind of minister who runs an ecological spirituality resource center from the church. They are very cool.

[knowbody0]

3. amazing

thank you for sharing. i especially love 2 spirits. to me = godlike

[BamaLefty]

4. KnowBody0.... This Is Great!

I give a big Amen to that one! :bounce:

Oh and Dobson and his ilk need to focus on their OWN damn families!!!

[blue neen]

5. It looks like there are way more than 500 people rallying.

Great pictures.

[Toucano]

34. It's got to be at least 1,000 people. n/t

[ultraist]

6. Awesome! Thank you for going and for the photos!

:bounce:

[autorank]

8. Thanks to you and all the demonstrators for STANDING TALL for all of us

:hi: :patriot:'s

[intheflow]

9. YIKES!!! ONLY HALF MY POST POSTED!! (Here are more photos)

I wonder if the files are too big? Well, here are the rest of the photos.


I think this is Jeff Lutes, who wrote "A FALSE FOCUS ON MY FAMILY, with his son.


This is the start of the march. The coffins were filled with letters to Dobson pleading that he end the spiritual violence againt GBLTs.


Here they march past the "Welcome Center" which was encircled by CSPD and had all its driveways blocked.


Fred Phelps' minions. Apparently they think Dobson is in league with the Pope and the GBLT community. :eyes:



Compare that with this crowd shot. Notice whose flag is dragging on the ground.

[uncle ray]

25. re: the flag dragging

i saw that on the local late news last night, the camera man was apparantly wise to it, he panned along the flag on the ground, right on up to the idiots face and sign.

[fleabert]

10. thanks and recommended for greatest page! nt

[intheflow]

11. Thanks, fleabert!

:hi:

[unhappycamper]

12. This is awesome! Keep up the good work. nt

[Wizard777]

13. I think the count is White House edict

The did it to the war protestors. I really like the way my local paper, The Sun, handled it. They ran the White House edict Headline. "Thousands Protest War." The the next day they ran the real headline. "Millions Protest War." War powers gives Bush full control of all media. If he uses that on non war issues. Well then it's just the latest Bush abuse of War Powers.

[PDittie]

14. Powerful

Great rally, great photos.

Great people. Great work.

[foreigncorrespondent]

15. Great pics!

Thanks so much for sharing these. :)

[Coloradan4Truth]

16. Good article from MSNBC, says neary 1000

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7705771/

Thanks intheflow for the pictures!

[intheflow]

17. Favorite quote from the MSNBC article:

"To permit same-sex marriage, (FOTF representative) Minnery said, 'you have to stand against all of civilization, which says that marriage is one man, one woman, and against the totality of social science that says a child does best with a mom and a dad.' "

A) Science does not say that a child does best with a mom and a dad, but that a child does best in a two-parent home. There haven't been any same gender relationship studies done, but the science talks about two parents with no mention of gender. (See Jeff Lutes' "Strange Science: How research is twisted to promote Dr. Dobson's anti-gay bias." .pdf file)

B) Standing against all civilization? Isn't that what they said about democracy, Dr. Dobson? Isn't that what they said about slavery?

Thanks so much for posting the link to this story, Coloradan4Truth. :pals:

[realFedUp]

18. Good work Mel and all of you

Who's the priest?

[intheflow]

21. What priest? n/t

[realFedUp]

22. The photo of the woman priest?

I think I saw a collar...

[intheflow]

23. She's the senior pastor at Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church.

The Rev. Elder Nori Rost. Here's their web site: http://www.ppmcc.org/

Nori is very cool. She and Mel White fasted for a week in front of FOTF about 10 years ago. Everyone thought they were nuts. But obviously they were prophetic nuts, as their warnings against the rise of FOTF have proven true.

[realFedUp]

26. She looks cool....thanks

we like prophetic nuts as long
as they speak the truth.

[Straight Shooter]

19. Soulforce. I love that name. Great photos.

Thank you for sharing. It's a good thing when people join together against the real perverts; that is, those who pervert the message of Jesus.

:thumbsup:

[gratuitous]

20. Satyagraha indeed!

Excellent photos, excellent job, Colorado. Keep it up.

[RevCheesehead]

24. So, was SpongeBob there?

Because I LOVE SpongeBob! :loveya:

[intheflow]

27. Not in body

but in spirit for sure, as he was named in several speeches. :D

[elshiva]

28. Earth to Dobson & co. God loves Queer Families!

;)

[me b zola]

35. YES! GOD LOVES LOVE!!!

When Liberals focus on the family, we focus on ALL families!!

I am so sickened when I hear hate speach from so-called 'people of faith'.

[donheld]

29. Thank you for sharing the pictures

I was not a pleasant day, but i'm grateful to those who showed up.

[intheflow]

31. It was freeeeeeeeezing!

Were you there, too?

[deadparrot]

30. Awesome!

It's great to see so many people coming together.

That Holocaust sign is simply heartbreaking.

[AuntiBush]

32. Now. This is what True, Decent Patriotic Peace Lovers

Is All about! Very proud of the UCC & all the groups that stood-up for more then just religious justice - they stood tall against Hypocracy, and the destruction of our Constitution!

:thumbsup:

[BrklynLiberal]

33. Great showing and great pics. Thanks for posting...