Anti-Gay Marriage Male Attacks Marriage Equality Female

[Ian David]

Anti-Gay Marriage Male Attacks Marriage Equality Female
You knew it would come to this. Larry Cirignano, the leader of the Catholic Citizenship group physically attacked a woman who was carrying a sign asking for no discrimination in the Constitution yesterday in Worcester. The Worcester Telegram reports:

Sarah Loy, 27, of Worcester was holding a sign in defense of same-sex marriage amid a sea of green “Let the People Vote” signs when Larry Cirignano of Canton, who heads the Catholic Citizenship group, ran into the crowd, grabbed her by both shoulders and told her, “You need to get out. You need to get out of here right now.” Mr. Cirignano then pushed her to the ground, her head slamming against the concrete sidewalk.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/NEWS/612170507/1116


And then in true fashion, he continued acting like the true coward he is:

As Ms. Loy lay motionless on the ground, crying, Mr. Larry Cirignanoran back behind the lectern, where moments before he had opened the afternoon rally by leading a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

These people hate gay people and their supporters so much that they resort to violence. If you want to see a picture of the guy that attacked a woman go here. I bet the Cardinal is so proud.
http://catholicvote.org/about.php

Update: Here is the information for the Catholic Citizenship. I think we need to ask them if this is how Larry treats all women.

Catholic Citizenship
198 Tremont Street Suite 450
Boston, MA 02116-4705
Tel. [phone] Fax [phone]
Email:[e-mail]

posted by Boston Bud @ 6:30 AM

More:
http://massresistancewatch.blogspot.com/2006/12/anti-gay-marriage-male-attacks-marriage.html


Ambassador Raymond Flynn, Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley, and Larry Cirignano, Executive
Director

[twilight_sailing]

1. .

"Police interviewed Mr. Cirignano, but did not arrest him."

Chickenshit cops.

[Warpy]

7. Typical hate crime against women

and the cops generally don't care much.

After all, there were probably a hundred MEN in that crowd the bigot could have felt perfectly free to assault.

However, his hatred of gays is intertwined with a hatred of women, as it usually is.

The cops who refused to arrest a solid citizen who committed an obvious hate crime on several levels need to be disciplined.

[twilight_sailing]

8. "his hatred of gays is intertwined with a hatred of women, as it usually is"

In my efforts to figure things out that's the conclusion I have come to also.

[Morgana LaFey]

14. Always is --

here's some interesting "proof" --
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x46061#46062

If you read that article, you'll see it very clearly outlined.

You might also be interested in a terrific book by Suzanne Pharr called "Homophobia, A Tool of Sexism."

[twilight_sailing]

23. Thanks!

[tblue37]

17. These are men who are insecure about their own

masculinity, and they see everything as a threat to it.

I like that she shouted after word, "This is what hate does! This is what hate does!"

She is right.

[cali]

2. I can't believe

he wasn't arrested. What a despicable act by a loathsome little toad of a man.

[gollygee]

3. That's assault!

is the woman OK?

:(

[Ian David]

4. She could go before a magistrate and file a civilian criminal complaint.

Not legal advice.

[Toots]

13. I believe it is battery unless she was threatened as well

:shrug: still illegal behavior whatever it is called.

[Occulus]

16. I would think it would be two charges

Assault and battery: the attack is the assault, the injury is the battery.

IANAL.

[angry_chuck]

19. maybe something for

saying you have to leave, is that a threat? if he said it that way. F8ck this hate filled bigot. He should be neutered, then he would be a big man. Asshole. what a f8cking prick.

[Nay]

5. The cops will HAVE to arrest him if she files charges. And she should.

[SemperEadem]

6. She should press charges of assault against him

and it should include 'hate crime' statutes. There is no way he should get away with physically assaulting her.

[libnnc]

11. I hope to hell she does press charges

These people are fucking dangerous and when they pull shit like this they need to be punished.

[salin]

9. Since the Schaivo demonstrations (outside of the hospice)

I have had a grave concern that serious violence could easily breakout - as these folks get further and further hyped-up by the heated rhetoric by their 'leaders' that often use "war" type rhetoric to paint those with opposing views as "enemies". That to folks swept into these movements, who are already a bit emotionally or mentally unbalanced, the heat of the rhetoric fuels a belief that violent actions would be 'understood' by others - perhaps even applauded. While this story doesn't suggest the type of violence I fear is growing just under the surface ... it is indicative of the "of course I can do that - everyone would agree I am justified" thinking - dude goes back to the lecturn to speak as if nothing had happened?

I fear that we still have a long-ways to go before we, as a society, can ever really begin healing from this era of 'trumping up hate - in order to build... (power/wealth/fill in the blank)'.

[Ilsa]

10. You are right. THis has been a topic of discusison on DU before.

These odious people feel emboldened by their hatred and think that their religious beliefs give them the authority to act like bullies and criminals. I think Mike MAlloy is right: real Liberals need to arm themselves. I know plenty who have.

edited for typo

[tblue37]

18. Have you seen the film

The Fisher King, starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges? In it, a popular ranting radio host tells an unbalanced caller that "those people need to die." The caller then goes to a restaurant and shoots randomly, killing several innocent people.

Williams played a college literature professor whose wife is among those killed. Bridges plays the radio host.

[Dystopian]

12. "That's what hate does!" k&r

How sad...seems like she will file suit. I hope so. Ugly incident for sure. I can't comprehend.....I simply can't. Why are these people so filled with hatred? That's all it is...ugly, evil hatred.....

I was asked to sign that petition...
I was outraged, remained calm, and said, 'No thank you, I believe in equal rights.' It made me sick....


peace~

[ComerPerro]

15. man, why do you have to go attacking and hating Christians?

:sarcasm:

[Eugene]

20. She says she will file a complaint. I hope she does.

K & R

[kdpeters]

21. Never go into enemy territory without the press or a friend with a camcorder

Most likely you will get attacked. That's just what they do. So do something to get it recorded on the record. Even Gandhi called the press when he expected his actions to provoke violent retribution.

[bbernardini]

22. HE SENT OUT A RESPONSE. A MUST READ.

Worcester County Freedom Trail
Let the People Vote Rally in Worcester Draws 200
About 200 people showed up yesterday for the "Let the People Vote" rally at
Worcester City Hall. As I emceed, I had a great view of the entire event.
The crowd was enthusiastic and our point was made: it's time for the
legislature to stop trampling on the Massachusetts Constitution and the
rights of citizens. Article 48 clearly states that the legislature "shall"
take a vote on citizen initiated petitions. This includes the traditional
marriage amendment, which has been recessed into inaction twice now, and the
healthcare amendment, which was sent to a "study group," a fate worse than
death.

Speakers at the event included Kris Mineau, President of Mass Family
Institute and director of VoteonMarriage.org, the marriage petition
organization. Chip Faulkner, Associate Director of Citizens for Limited
Taxation, also spoke; his group has been involved in cititzen petitions for
over two decades, including our beloved Proposition 2 1/2. George Kohl,
Pastor of Belmont Street Baptist Church, spoke about how he is outraged that
our legislators have turned their backs on the voters. Jane Burdzell,
Leicester, one of the early activists involved in gathering signatures for
the marriage petition, spoke about the sad state of society when the faith
of our forefathers is relegated to a virtually non-existent role.

Finally, Ambassador Ray Flynn spoke about the importance of holding
legislators accountable. He discussed the new federal lawsuit that is aimed
at the 109 legislators who voted to recess the Constitutional Convention in
November. They are being sued inidividually for denying citizens their First
and Fourth Amendment rights. Included among those being sued are:

- Rep. James Leary, Worcester

- Rep. Harold Naughton, Clinton

- Rep. Jennifer Flanagan, Leominster

- Sen. Harriette Chandler, Worcester

- Sen. Ed Augustus, Worcester

Contact these legislators and let them know how you feel about their votes.
You can call download the "Wanted Posters" or use the Voter Voice system at
http://votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=548&.

At the rally, we thanked the legislators who upheld the Constitution and
voted AGAINST a recess. These include Rep. John Fresolo (Worcester), Rep.
Mark Carron (Southbridge), Rep. George Peterson (Grafton), Rep. Karyn Polito
(Shrewsbury), Rep. Lew Evanglidis (Holden), and Rep. Paul Frost (Auburn).

Our sincere thanks to Joe's crew at Worcester Sound for providing us with an
excellent setup that let the speakers be heard above the traffic and above
the 20 or so protestors that showed up.

As a side note, I'd like to clear up the Worcester Telegram's front page
story about the rally. Catholic Citizenship's Larry Cirignano did indeed
move one of the protestors out of the way of the speaker's podium as she was
hindering our legal right to speak (we had all our city permits while the
protestors did not). And yes, he moved her into the crowd, toward the area
where the protestors were standing. But no, there was no assault. According
to bystanders, the protestor took the fall on purpose. She was all too quick
with her pat reply about "this is what happens when." And along the way,
she, in fact, assaulted one of the teenagers in the crowd, trampling on the
teen before she fell.

Posted in Constitution, Faith & Politics, Local News, Media December 17th,
2006 by sharilee |

ACLU Board Member Assaulted by Anti-Gay Marriage Organizer
by Kevin Ksen Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 at 1:29 PM


.


dscf0204.jpg, image/jpeg, 2567x1789

The license plate on the van driving CatholicVote.Org, Executive Director
Larry Cirignano out of Worcester and on to his next destination read, "MIR",
peace in Russian, but that was far from what Cirignano's self-named, "Rally
for Democracy" brought to Worcester City Hall's steps.

An estimated 200 people encircled Cirignano and his podium, many holding
"Let the People Vote" signs, a reference to the MA State Legislature's
decision on November 9 to recess the constitutional convention instead of
voting on an amendment to ban same-sex marriage and allowing the measure to
go on the MA ballot in 2008.

But while the verbal harangue's directed at gay and lesbian community
members was to be expected from this group, no one in the crowd expected
Cirignano to lash out, assault and knock one of the civil rights
demonstrators to the ground.

Early in the event, as the first few speakers shouted from the podium, Sarah
Loy a member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU stepped forward. She too
had a pre-printed sign, but hers read, "No Discrimination in the
Constitution ~ MassEquality.Org". Hurt and bothered by what the first
speakers said, Loy said she felt moved, "I wanted the people that were
listening to the speakers to see what our signs said." "I wasn't trying to
disrupt anything; all I wanted to do was stand on the side so they could see
my sign as well."

It was at that point, in front of the 200 listening to the speakers and
several home video cameras that Cirignano angrily came up from behind Loy,
grabbed her and shoved her to the ground.



I spoke with Cirignano after the rally and asked him his side of what
happened, "That lady came up to the podium and I escorted her back into the
audience." Given what had transpired, I followed-up to make sure I heard
correctly, "Escorted?", "Yes, escorted", he replied. Asked if he felt he
assaulted her he shot back without hesitation, "Hell, no!" adding,"She's an
actress, she's a professional actress."

Immediately after the assault took place Loy and others turned to the
Worcester Police Officers present at the rally. And while the officers
quickly took Loy's complaint, they responded that since they had not seen
the assault happen they couldn't put Mr. Cirignano under arrest. In fact it
was only after the intervention of Ron Madnick, Executive Director of the
Worcester ACLU Chapter that officers agreed to take statements from
witnesses who had stepped forward. At first officers said they didn't need
to take statements, but faced with Madnick's and witnesses' persistence they
did. It did not appear though that they spoke with any of the people that
videotaped the assault.

The rally continued uninterrupted as Police took Cirignano off to the side
to question him. He was unfazed and non-apologetic as he was interviewed and
charged.

As the speakers continued, MassEquality supporters rallied alongside,
buttressed by a bicycle contingent from Worcester's Earn-A-Bike. Same sex
marriage supporters then remained in front of City Hall as the anti-gay
marriage group packed-up their vans and signs. Pastor Judy Hanlon from
Hadwen Park Congregational Church was one of several ministers that
remained. "We need to re-consecrate this land", she proclaimed, as the 20
remaining people soon moved from frustration and sadness to song and
laughter.

[AllieB]

24. Police file criminal complaint in marriage rally assault case

http://telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061219/NEWS/612190733/1116

"Police have filed a criminal complaint against the executive director of Boston-based Catholic Citizenship on allegations he pushed a female counter-demonstrator to the ground during an anti-gay marriage rally Saturday outside City Hall.

Detective Capt. Edward J. McGinn Jr. said police yesterday filed an assault and battery complaint in Central District Court against Larry Cirignano, 50, of 15 County Lane, Canton, who heads the Catholic Citizenship group, which opposes gay marriage.

Mr. Cirignano will be summoned to court to attend a clerk magistrate hearing on the misdemeanor charge. The magistrate will determine if there is probable cause to continue the charge in court, the captain said."