Boycotts and/or protest murmurings of Freedom Festival

[provoman]

In another realm, there are murmurings of boycotts and/or onsight protests of the Freedom Festival.

Freedom Festival is "America's Freedom Festival at Provo is a private, non-profit, non-political foundation whose mission is to celebrate, teach, honor, and strengthen the traditional American values of God, family, freedom, and country.

The festival and Provo City have drawn ire because both made a show of signing an agreement that Freedom Fest would - not discriminate in violation of "Federal, State, or local law". This nondiscrimination agreement included not discriminating based on sexual orientation. 

Within a day of the non-discrimination agreement, lgbt themed parade applications were rejected.  

The calls for boycott and/or protest are to wear rainbow themed garb to the event, another effort is to pressure the band OneRepublic to withdraw as main event band. 

Edited June 14, 2018 by provoman

[smac97]

Any links to news items about this?

[provoman]

6 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Any links to news items about this?

Provo and Freedom Festival sign contract with new non-discrimination clause

 

Just hours after signing nondiscrimination deal with Provo, Freedom Festival excludes LGBT groups from July 4 parade

 

Four LGBTQ groups say they have been denied participation in Provo freedom parade

[pogi]

"Freedom parade invites rejected LGBTQ entries to reapply"

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46342720&nid=148&title=freedom-parade-invites-rejected-lgbtq-entries-to-reapply

[smac97]

Hmm.  So this article states that five LGBT groups were denied permission to participate in the parade.  As implied in this article, that means every LGBT group that applied was rejected.

I'd like to see groups like Mormons Building Bridges and Encircle participating in the parade.  

I will admit that I am a bit apprehensive about the parade devolving into an in-your-face, flipping-the-bird-to-the-Mormons kind of thing.  Will gay rights groups start a lawfare campaign against the Freedom Festival?  Will they try to turn the parade into a once-a-year expression of contempt for Mormons?  Will they try to subvert the Fourth of July parade into a gay pride thing?

Also, frankly, I'm concerned about decorum and decency.  Do a Google Images search for "gay" and "parade" and you'll get plenty of pictures of friendly people marching with rainbow flags, which is fine.  But you'll also get boatloads of cross-dressers, semi-nudity, provocative displays of sexuality, and worse (honestly, you'll have to wash your mind out with bleach of much of what you'll see).  I'm simply not interested in taking my children to an event with such things not only on display, but being celebrated and cheered.  

The theme of the parade is "to celebrate, teach, honor, and strengthen the traditional American values of God, family, freedom and country."  Unifying influences like Mormons Building Bridges and Encircle sound like great entries.  Provocative demonstrations of lewdness and sexuality are not, nor are divisive expressions regarding sociopolitical issues.  That's just not what the parade is about.

I'd like to see these groups (a few, anyway) be given the chance to participate and allay my concerns (which may be shared by plenty of other folks in Utah County).

Thanks,

-Smac

[JLHPROF]

And as usual with this kind of thing, the missing piece of the puzzle exists.

Freedom parade says groups applications were denied and they can reapply.
LGBTQ groups say they were denied.

Instead of explanation  you get a bunch of PR nonsense.
"deemed outside the parameters of the parade guidelines",  "The parade can turn you down because they want more bagpipes this year or because they think your float is ugly — or for all kinds of other reasons,", "They said it was celebrating patriotism and our [proposed entry] was not celebrating patriotism,”, "reviewed each parade application “in full alignment with the Freedom Festival’s nondiscrimination policy.”

Sometimes I miss good old fashioned bluntness. 

 

 

 

[Robert F. Smith]

6 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

And as usual with this kind of thing, the missing piece of the puzzle exists.

Freedom parade says groups applications were denied and they can reapply.
LGBTQ groups say they were denied.

Instead of explanation  you get a bunch of PR nonsense.
"deemed outside the parameters of the parade guidelines",  "The parade can turn you down because they want more bagpipes this year or because they think your float is ugly — or for all kinds of other reasons,", "They said it was celebrating patriotism and our [proposed entry] was not celebrating patriotism,”, "reviewed each parade application “in full alignment with the Freedom Festival’s nondiscrimination policy.”

Sometimes I miss good old fashioned bluntness. 

Yeh, what would Brother Brigham say?

[Robert F. Smith]

8 hours ago, provoman said:

..............................Within a day of the non-discrimination agreement, lgbt themed parade applications were rejected.  ...............

Maybe we need to have an America-let-it-all-hang-out day on July 4, and a Mormon day on July 24.  Only in Utah, of course.  The rest of the USA can suck eggs.

[hope_for_things]

Looks like they changed their mind and are now doing the right thing.  Good to see. 

http://kuer.org/post/after-initial-rejection-lgbt-groups-will-be-allowed-provo-s-freedom-festival#stream/0

 

[USU78]

8 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Sometimes I miss good old fashioned bluntness. 

Not permitted.

[JLHPROF]

2 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Yeh, what would Brother Brigham say?

Something that would end him up in jail today I expect, or cost the Church their legal status.  Wish he was still with us.

1 hour ago, USU78 said:

Not permitted.

Sadly.  PC is the devil's greatest tool.  Well, top 10 at least.

Edited June 15, 2018 by JLHPROF

[california boy]

To link the two threads together on LGBT issues, it is exactly these kinds of attitudes in Utah that I feel is causing despair among some LGBT youth.  Sending signals that "you are not welcome here" is what makes some lose hope for a better life as a gay person.  All should be welcomed and feel like they have a place in the community they live in even if they are living outside the paradigm of the Mormon Church.  If the fear of nudity or inappropriate behavior is the issue, then that should be addressed for all participants across the board and not directed at any one individual or group.  Kids in Provo need to know that there are more than one choice for them to have to live a happy and fulfilling life.  I am glad that this issue has been resolved.  It is unfortunate that it even occurred.

Edited June 15, 2018 by california boy

[USU78]

3 hours ago, california boy said:

To link the two threads together on LGBT issues, it is exactly these kinds of attitudes in Utah that I feel is causing despair among some LGBT youth.  Sending signals that "you are not welcome here" is what makes some loose hope for a better life as a gay person.  All should be welcomed and feel like they have a place in the community they live in even if they are living outside the paradigm of the Mormon Church.  If the fear of nudity or inappropriate behavior is the issue, then that should be addressed for all participants across the board and not directed at any one individual or group.  Kids in Provo need to know that there are more than one choice for them to have to live a happy and fulfilling life.  I am glad that this issue has been resolved.  It is unfortunate that it even occurred.

Slander.

[Gray]

6 minutes ago, USU78 said:

Slander.

Really? Is that evaluation based off your experience growing up as a gay LDS youth?

[Gray]

9 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Something that would end him up in jail today I expect, or cost the Church their legal status.  Wish he was still with us.

Sadly.  PC is the devil's greatest tool.  Well, top 10 at least.

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/the-mormon-ethic-of-civility

[USU78]

10 minutes ago, Gray said:

Really? Is that evaluation based off your experience growing up as a gay LDS youth?

Those suffering from mental illness often strike out at parents and other authority figures.

We shouldn't be either surprised or dismayed at their slanders. But neither are we required to call them truth or permit our bigotry to tar those who are quite innocent. 

Bigotry.

It steals your judgment. Makes you call evil good and good evil.

[Atheist Mormon]

20 hours ago, provoman said:

Boycotts and/or protest murmurings of Freedom Festival

Just because Foundation don't want to see them LGTB wont' disappear. Just be civil, give them permission and ignore them....They are part of the society.

[Gray]

13 minutes ago, USU78 said:

Those suffering from mental illness often strike out at parents and other authority figures.

We shouldn't be either surprised or dismayed at their slanders. But neither are we required to call them truth or permit our bigotry to tar those who are quite innocent. 

Bigotry.

It steals your judgment. Makes you call evil good and good evil.

Pure projection. Post after post hurling slander and insults at gay people and those sticking up against their bullies. Woe unto them who call good evil and evil good.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Gray

[provoman]

7 hours ago, california boy said:

To link the two threads together on LGBT issues, it is exactly these kinds of attitudes in Utah that I feel is causing despair among some LGBT youth.  Sending signals that "you are not welcome here" is what makes some loose hope for a better life as a gay person.  All should be welcomed and feel like they have a place in the community they live in even if they are living outside the paradigm of the Mormon Church.  If the fear of nudity or inappropriate behavior is the issue, then that should be addressed for all participants across the board and not directed at any one individual or group.  Kids in Provo need to know that there are more than one choice for them to have to live a happy and fulfilling life.  I am glad that this issue has been resolved.  It is unfortunate that it even occurred.

 

3 hours ago, Atheist Mormon said:

Just because Foundation don't want to see them LGTB wont' disappear. Just be civil, give them permission and ignore them....They are part of the society.

The application process required an explanation how the proposed entry would celebrate, teach, honor traditional American values of God, Family, Country. 

Perhaps each lgbt group should release their application proposal to show how they were within the "Theme" of the parade.

Freedom Fedtival NEVER AGREED to garuantee a spot for a LGBT entry. What sad is it appears a private organization was effectively bullied into submission, by groups that failed ro met the participation standards.

Edited June 15, 2018 by provoman

[USU78]

48 minutes ago, provoman said:

 

The application process required an explanation how the proposed entry would celebrate, teach, honor traditional American values of God, Family, Country. 

Perhaps each lgbt group should release their application proposal to show how they were within the "Theme" of the parade.

Freedom Fedtival NEVER AGREED to garuantee a spot for a LGBT entry. What sad is it appears a private organization was effectively bullied into submission, by groups that failed ro met the participation standards.

Because  ...  bullies.

[Walden]

4 hours ago, USU78 said:

Those suffering from mental illness often strike out at parents and other authority figures.

We shouldn't be either surprised or dismayed at their slanders. But neither are we required to call them truth or permit our bigotry to tar those who are quite innocent. 

Bigotry.

It steals your judgment. Makes you call evil good and good evil.

For real? Mental illness?

Posts like this make me so grateful that I am no longer LDS and that I do not live in Utah.

 

[USU78]

23 minutes ago, Walden said:

For real? Mental illness?

Posts like this make me so grateful that I am no longer LDS and that I do not live in Utah.

 

Suicidal ideation and/or acting out is evidence of good mental health according to what sources?

[california boy]

4 hours ago, USU78 said:

Those suffering from mental illness often strike out at parents and other authority figures.

We shouldn't be either surprised or dismayed at their slanders. But neither are we required to call them truth or permit our bigotry to tar those who are quite innocent. 

Bigotry.

It steals your judgment. Makes you call evil good and good evil.

Sad post. 

[USU78]

Just now, california boy said:

Sad post. 

Suicidal ideation and/or acting out is evidence of good mental health according to which authorities?

[Walden]

4 minutes ago, USU78 said:

Suicidal ideation and/or acting out is evidence of good mental health according to what sources?

I think the topic of suicide is being discussed on another thread, but you seem to insinuate that homosexuality is a mental illness and that one of the side-effects of this mental illness is suicidal ideation....this shows a complete lack of understanding of cause and effect, not to mention absolute ignorance regarding sexual preference. Higher rates of suicide among the homosexual community is a result of this type of ignorance.

Regarding your shots at homosexuals and the relation to mental health, one could argue that those who devote absolute allegiance to an institution such as the church, those who are opposed to critical thinking, isolate members and penalize them for leaving, emphasize special doctrines outside scripture, seek inappropriate loyalty to their leaders, teach that failure to comply with church teachings is a dishonor the family unit, etc. are members of a cult and that this blind allegiance results from a mental illness....I would never make this argument, but in the same vein as your argument, it surely could be made.