Gainesville, FL rejects homophobic ‘No Homo’ campaign and elects its first openly gay mayor.

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/14/gainesville-mayor/

Gainesville, FL rejects homophobic ‘No Homo’ campaign and elects its first openly gay mayor.


Last month, the Dove World Outreach Center — a church in Gainesville, FL that attracted attention last year for erected a sign reading “Islam is of the devil” — posted a new sign stating “No homo Mayor.” The message was directed at Craig Lowe, an openly gay candidate in Gainesville’s mayoral race run-off. “We don’t feel as though the city should be represented by a homosexual,” said Terry Jones, a senior pastor at Dove World. When the media raised questions about whether such advocacy violated the church’s tax status, Dove World changed its sign to just say, “No Homo.” Despite this homophobic campaign, Gainesville elected Lowe as its newest mayor yesterday. However, he won by just 35 votes, so there will automatically be a recount. If Lowe takes office, he will be “among about 30 gay or lesbian mayors nationwide.”

[d_r]

1. that's awesome

[Divine Discontent]

2. I would picket them if he wins the recount with "GOD thinks Yes Homo!" and "I guess your judgment

sealed the win!"

[old mark]

3. Seems to be a lot of very religious folks in Florida.

Are they all such assholes?


mark

[Divine Discontent]

4. I'd say half of them. which means there's good ones.

I've been reading about a church on the western outskirts of Orlando that is extremely liberal in their thinking, and they're a standard protestant style church. So, that's refreshing to see them be supportive of people's rights (like GLBT being very much welcome). There are of course bad ones in every town. They are false, and I don't have a problem saying they are. Any church that supports warfare is godless. They can pray for the troops but to pray for the bullets to work and such is evil. I went to a Baptist (bad idea) church in Otown because a friend asked me many years ago. The minister bitched and moaned about Will & Grace and "homosexual" tv. Because it was my friend's families church, I bit my tongue. I told him afterwards, just because the guy at the pulpit runs down gays, it doesn't mean we "choose" to be gay and that quite probably - the Aramaic writings of the bible are translated in a hostile manner towards gay folk. His brother is gay, btw. I pity him having to go to that church! He needed to go to the Metropolitan Community Church near downtown.

[FLyellowdog]

5. Fantabulous!!!!! nt

[gratuitous]

6. Suggestion for Mayor Lowe after his victory is certified

Attend the next Sunday's service at the Dove World Outreach Center. No big entourage, no fanfare, just an elected official wanting to share a communal experience with some of his constituents.