its real f-up that the hoemoes need to go march.what are they getting done.wasting tax payers money so the cops can protect you.i will help pay to send you and your lovers to iran.now thats using tax payers money for good.
The issue here for me is the poor spelling and punctuation. Grammar is not the only issue. I think the author intends:
It's real fowled-up that the homos need to go march. What are they getting done? They are wasting tax payer's money when they hire cops to protect them. I will help pay to send them and their lovers to Iran. Now that's using tax payer's money for good.
Second, there is an inherent ignorance to cause and effect here. If gays didn't need protection from the cops (protection from bigoted people like our obtuse author here), tax payer money would not be spent to pay for said cops.
And yes, thank you joining in our victory celebration for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Now my love and I can serve openly in the military. However, and I am admittedly not an expert, I don't believe we have active engagement in Iran right now.
By your last statement, "thats using tax payers money for good," are you talking about the money of the tax payers? Because that would require an apostrophe to indicate ownership. Second, if you are implying (and I am inferring) that you mean that sending people (to Iran) is a good use of tax payer money because they will die there, please note that there are thousands of men and woman from the United States who have died in the armed services so that you could spout off hateful rhetoric with atrocious spelling and absent reasoning.
And yet, when I read your posts...And it could be any of the hateful posts of the 67 comments so far...I find my blood pressure rising! What world of solitary ignorance do you live in? What benefit do you get from spouting such hate?
I welcome your response, at your leisure. Just use spell check first.
Pride parade planned
Credit: Journal File Photo
Winston-Salem's first "gay pride" parade, on Fourth St. downtown, June 9, 1996. Plans are afoot for another parade on Oct.15, 2011.
Gay-rights advocates have announced plans for a Pride parade in downtown Winston-Salem on Oct. 15 — the first local parade in 15 years to celebrate the rights of gays and other minorities.
"There are so many great gay people in our community," said Steve McGinnis, a co-founder ofEquality Winston-Salem, the group sponsoring the parade. "We felt like the gay community in Winston-Salem is not visible enough."
The event will not be a march or a protest, but a celebratory parade, he said.
"People should recognize we are here, we are active, and we do make a difference in our community," saidMcGinnis, a retired principal in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system.
The previous gay-rights parade in Winston-Salem was in 1996. Several thousand people packed the downtown streets, and protesters showed up, too.
Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church andpresident of Return America, a conservative Christian advocacy group, said he and his group will sponsor a "traditional family values" parade a few weeks after the Pride parade — just as they did after the 1996 Gay Pride parade.
"Our textbook is the Bible, and we believe the Bible speaks plainly as to what constitutes a family," Baitysaid. "God's definition of a family is one man and one woman."
The gay organizations have their First Amendment right to have their parade, but "we will have an outpouring of people in our own parade, on another day," Baity said.
Leaders with Equality Winston-Salem said the time is right to hold a Pride parade. They pointed to several recent advances in gay rights, such as the end of "don't ask, don't tell" policies for the military, anti-bullying laws adopted by the state legislature and a local YMCA allowing two partnered gay men and their adopted children to join under the "family" designation.
They also talked about some recent statements by state Rep. Larry Brown, R-Forsyth, that galvanized the gay community. Brown recently said the government should not spend money to treat adults with HIV or AIDS who live in "perverted lifestyles." In October, Brown drew criticism for an e-mail he sent to other Republican state legislators in which he used disparaging language about gays.
After lawmakers were told about a legislative leadership award being given to then-House Speaker Joe Hackney, Brown sent an e-mail to House Minority Leader Paul Stam saying: "I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience."
Brown did not respond to several calls and an e-mail Tuesday.
"When you have an elected official in power making those kinds of bigoted statements, it does serve to engage the (gay) community and make them think about what they can do to change the climate," said Ian Palmquist, executive director of Equality North Carolina. "I think he (Brown) is out of touch with the vast majority of North Carolinians and even the vast majority of Republicans."
If any protesters show up on Oct. 15, "it won't ruffle my feathers, and it won't make me angry," McGinnissaid. "There are people out there who have a very big problem with it (homosexuality). Do I have a big problem with them? No, I don't."
Mary Jamis, another co-founder of Equality Winston-Salem, said the leaders are open to a parade with a "broader diversity" theme than just for gay rights.
"The parade could be for any minority or any community that feels they don't have a voice," Jamis said, adding that Equality Winston-Salem will coordinate the parade with LGBT (lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgender) groups and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) groups.
Organizers are working on bringing nationally known entertainment to the event.
"We think the event in Winston-Salem will be very affirming, with people from all walks of life participating," said Rex Welton, another co-founder of Equality Winston-Salem. "Winston-Salem is the city of the arts and innovation, and there are a lot of creative and open-minded people in this town. We're going to make sure it is classy and fun."
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