Radical Right's Latest Courtroom Drama

[struggle4progress]

Sarah Posner (2:52PM) link

If you don't read the extremist conservative press, you probably haven't heard about the Philadelphia 4. They are four radical homophobic evangelists arrested in October for disrupting the annual gay festival, Outfest, sponsored by Philly Pride and St. Luke and the Epiphany Church in Philadelphia. <snip>

Marcavage and his cohorts filed a lawsuit seeking a federal court's intervention to stop their prosecution in state court, which would require the federal court to take an extraordinary step only used when the state prosecution is conducted in bad faith or for the purposes of retaliation. Marcavage, of course, claimed that the prosecution was in bad faith and retaliated against him for his Christian beliefs. The district court rejected those claims, and the court of appeals affirmed, allowing the prosecution to go forward. (Marcavage's defenders have made much of the fact that the federal trial court judge is a Clinton appointee, but make nothing of the fact that one of the appellate judges affirming her order is a Bush appointee.) According to court papers filed by the City of Philadelphia in the lawsuit, the organizers of Outfest had a permit to hold a special event on October 10, 2004; Marcavage's group of 11 people did not. Philadelphia police allowed Marcavage and his group to express themselves until they began to disrupt the event: Marcavage "used bullhorns and yelled offensive messages to the Outfest participants . . . . interfered with and unreasonably disturbed the Outfest activities." Moreover, Marcavage's group "refused multiple requests to relocate their protests to an area that would allow their message to be heard, without interfering with the ongoing permitted event." After "reasonable requests and warnings" from the police, the 11 were arrested. (Charges against seven were later dropped.) <snip>

This is not Marcavage's first brush with Philadelphia area law enforcement. In 1999, when he was a student at Temple University, university officials had him involuntarily committed to a mental institution as a result of behavior stemming of his protest of a campus production of the play Corpus Christi. <snip> In addition, he's been arrested on numerous other occasions stemming from his conduct at various events. <snip>

http://gadflyer.com/flytrap/index.php?Week=200501

[ktowntennesseedem]

1. Thanks for the details on the incident.

I had heard about what great, noble martyrs they were, and how brave they were to endure such persecution from the gays and the police. Nice to finally hear the truth on this story.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Let us make them martyrs

Their actions have nothing to do with christianity and everything to do with hate. A leader of a christian group sent to a mental institution? Lets ensure all the press is welcome at his next legal gaggle. Allowing others to hate homosexuals and denying them constitutional liberties by bible thumping fascists are not reasons why I spent 24 years in uniform. Its time to put it on the table. What is going to be the law of the land - the Constitution or the bible? Conservatives tried to destroy the Union before; please, let them try again.

On a similar note, the next time some fascist bitches about homosexuals, ask them where in the bible it says homosexuals are an abomination? (Leviticus) The same place it states those who work on the sabbath should be stoned to death. Its a great conversation starter with hypocrites.

[Ian David]

3. When bad things happen to fundies it's called "persecution"

When fundies do bad things to others they call it "family values."

[rkc3]

4. Leviticus has lots of fun things to point out to fundies.

Like selling your daughter to slavery (assuming you get a good price I imagine) or beating the shit out of your kids if they talk back.

One of the fundies I talked to (who is divorced) said even the Bible says it's OK to get a divorce under certtain circumstances.

Then again, for most fundies, the parts of the Bible they agree with are meant to be taken literally the rest can be interpreted or ignored.