If you don't mind being a bit shocked, take a look at these pictures from the Folsom Street Fair. (Warning: they are graphic.) This is an annual event in San Francisco, held again on Sunday, September 30, in which some of the city's outstanding citizens turned out to display their style and have a little fun. I wonder what the Islamic radicals would make of these picturesque displays. What a great recruiting tool this would be for them! Here is what they term the decadence of the West on full display.
I don't think this is typical of America, and even many Americans would find such scenes revolting. I am quite sure that even the liberal Democratic presidential candidates wouldn't be seen in a place like this. But I also recognize that when you have freedom there is going to be some excess. Even so, freedom does not excuse anyone from moral and social accountability. To criticize the abuses of freedom is not "censorship"; rather, is to exercise one's own freedom to dissent.
So take a look at this advertisement for the Folsom Street Fair. It shows gay activists in a mock reenactment of Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles at the Last Supper. To me this ad reflects anti-Christian bigotry pure and simple. Yet when the Catholic League protested the ad, Miller Brewing Company took its name off the poster but refused to withdraw its sponsorship of the fair. This, I suppose, reflects the growing financial clout of the gay community.
But imagine if a city fair mocked the sensitivities of blacks or Jews or, yes, gays in this way. There would be a national outcry! There would be front page articles. You would have heard about it on the evening news. Miller Brewing Company would run in the opposite direction and issue a strong condemnation. Is this the first you're hearing about the Folsom Street Fair's bigotry against Christians? That's because the slogans of "tolerance" and "sensitivity" don't seem to apply to religious believers.
Outraged? Go ahead and comment, and I'll forward all the reaction to the public relations office at Miller Brewing Company.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 12)
16.
You are far closer to the Islamic extremeists than you know. You see, they seek to impose their version of "morality" on everyone else, no exceptions. Our freedoms are what they hate, and it seems you hate them as well. As a veteran, I fought and was willing to die for their right to express themselves, as much as for your right to do the same. So don't take it personally if I tell you that you are a homophobic jerk, and a religious zealot. Just exersizing the rights many of my fellow veterans died for.
Ken at 4:51AM on Oct 1st 2007
17. Thanks for posting the picture, its a funny satire of the last supper and a fresh take on a classic painting that´s been parodied countless times.
bTru2u at 6:11AM on Oct 1st 2007
18. "Even many Americans would find such scenes revolting."
Dinesh, you would be surprised. Most people who I have shown pictures like this from offline are not sickened by stuff like this. They don't want to do it, but they also say "Whatever floats their boat!"
Marti Linder, a poster on the first page, is also right about you Dinesh. You are nothing more than a bigot, who parades these people in front of us and says "This is why we have to worship 'god', otherwise these perverts will take us over!"
Frankly, there is no such thing as perversion, that is a value judgement made by someone or several someone's looking at what you do, and therefore has absolutely NO bearing on anything in real life.
Christopher Kidwell at 7:23AM on Oct 1st 2007
19. Dinesh,
Tour comments are timely! I really get a charge out of the comments posted. Apparently the proponents of free speech in America can dish it out but they can't take it. [They also can't spell!] It amazes me how tolerance in this nation is a one-way street. We're also supposed to mind our own business and let these people live their lives. We're not supposed to bad mouth them or their lifestyle in anyway but they are allowed to make a mockery of other peoples religion. I believe they have just burst the barn door wide open. They don't have to fear the conservatives like Robertson or Graham but the nut cases like Phillips will use this to inspire his "flock" and there could be disasterous results!
The General at 7:44AM on Oct 1st 2007
20. Not that you ever read or respond to any of the inteligent criticism... because God forbid a college student is more able to comprehend the world around him and what it means to be American than you. That having been said you used the words "tolerant" and "sensitive" to describe Christians. Now I'm not saying all Christians are the same... but I personally think its awesome for the Gay community to make fun of a religion that in this country has told them that their entire community would go to hell.
Miller Lite for life... way to support the freedom of assembly and speech
Matt at 7:55AM on Oct 1st 2007
21. Lets not forget GOP standard bearer D'ouche.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IrE6FMpai8
Dennis at 7:57AM on Oct 1st 2007
22. If you read the responses, as I have said before, you see which side of the argument spews hate. It is not the Christian side. It seems if you simply ask the left to show a little courtesy to not slander and profane Christianity they say we are evil and must be shut up or killed....hmmmmm it sounds very familiar to me, yes, thats right they did the same to Jesus. I read no where in your response where you called anyone a name, told them they could not assemble, or said they should be stopped. But, as usual, that is never pointed out. The hate they serve only spews out an can only resort to calling you names and deriding peaceful Christians. If we were filled with the hate they say this would be Iran....no thats right there are no gays there.
jerry at 8:16AM on Oct 1st 2007
23. DD, Religious Reich apologist for terrorist. Yes, heathen America it is all your fault. Your evil ways not only get our own Religious Reich Wackadoos upset they rile up the Muslim version as well. Religion is vile evil and disgusting. It is 2007 people. Time to stop believing fairy tales. Time to recognize the nuts for what they are. NUTS... As for Gays mocking Christians. What would you do to somebody who openly preached for your destruction and fought to get laws passed against you?
Joe at 8:19AM on Oct 1st 2007
24. Gay people mock their own "sensitivities" all the time, DD. In general, they seem to have a pretty good sense of humor about themselves.
If you're determined to use freedom to acknowledge one's sexual orientation as sign of the apocalypse, you could at least pay attention and get the details right.
Joseph at 8:35AM on Oct 1st 2007
25. I don't see it as having been meant to offend. Certainly, it was poking fun at conservative Christianity but, arguably, Conservative Christianity has set itself up as a 'legitimate' target of such jibes by proclaiming homosexuality and transgenderism as heinous sins against God. What is really an example of Western decadence is that conservative christianity--with all it's hypocracy can claim to be the absolute autority on what offends God!
Since it is a given that those portraying the apostiles in drag do not find the idea of homosexuality or transgenderism (or transvestism) offensive, the fact that conservative christians would finds such parody offensive says more about those offended than those making the portrayal. One need not be Freud to see that.
Keith J. Mohrhoff at 12:11PM on Oct 1st 2007
26. Jesus Christ chose 12 Jewish disciples, whom all, except John the Revelator, died as martyrs. The disciples are heroes and LIVING monuments to many christians in their faith. Christians are living monuments of God on earth. Each paving their way for the next generation to come. If one generation compromises christian, and nonchristian, so will the next. Somewhere along the lines, someone forgot to rebuild the pillar that the Israelites built as a reminder, when God freed them from bondage in Egypt, and have forgotten what God has done! Forgotten to tell their children about that monument! Let it fall to rubble to meaningless and nothingness... And the next generations forgot God, as we do today...We as a nation have forgotten God...When the generation born in the 1930's dies off, I believe you will see crumble of morals of society at its peak...generation after generation teaching their children the same...children are little pictures of their parents
Bridget at 8:45AM on Oct 1st 2007
27. D'Idiot, the more I read your anit-gay bird vomit, the more I expect to eventually see a newspaper article after your arrest for waving your hand under a public restroom stall. Having actually been to a Folsom Street Fair, I know what goes on at them. Trust me, while there is plenty of outlandish behaviour going on, the majority of people are fully clothed and rather boring, buyting t-shirts and hot dogs like any other street event. It just happend that a lot of them are in leather and maybe less than the usualy Catholic Church Sunday Picnic clothes.
Newflash for D'Idiot. By saying these folks should be banned, you have BECOME the terrorist. The parody of The Last Supper fairytale has been done by countless others. While Fixed Noise has an aneuyrism about the Folsom Promo Poster, they had no issues with the Boston Red Sox, The Sopranos, George Carlin or - on their own network - The Simpsons making similar hay off of them. But let a gay group work it? It's then end of Western Civilization and an open invite for muslim radicals to start bombing.
What it REALLY is is bigotry on behalf of D'Idiot and his minions.
http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/other_last_suppers_wheres_the_outrage
Go here for more hypocrisy. Where is the outrage over these? Or is manufactured fake contorversy all the God-Nazis are capable of anymore?
Tim at 9:03AM on Oct 1st 2007
28. Dinesh,
I’m sticking by with you on this one. I’m going to be blunt to everyone here on this forum. Doing the act of homosexuality is wrong and IS a sin in God's eyes. And before you throw "do no judge least you be judge" make sure you understand the meaning of this verse! (for more details go to http://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-judge.html) Yes we all sin, however the difference is I recognize my sins as wrong doings while the gay community does not recognize their sins being wrong. Go ahead I know someone is going to call me a hater or a hypocrite;Espescially from those who don't like being told that they are wrong in what they are doing. I don't hate anyone, I just simply get sick and tired of the blatantly sinful lives of others being flaunted like it is nothing. Those pictures are disgusting, not beautiful, and definitely not Holy. (was not expecting to see what I saw) I clicked out right away. Freedom is being abused in our country. I love having freedom, but in today's society it has become double standard.
I far from being perfect, but I believe in repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. No Buddha, not Krishna, not Islam, not JWs, Not Mormons, not any other religion. John 14:6 Jesus says " I am the Way, the truth the life, no one goes through the Father except trough me."
Also Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." So as you see there is only one way and one name and it is Jesus Christ.
I AM
"Bible thumpin' reactionist, and I’m proud to bear the name...Take away our lives, Jesus still remains."
livinxsacrifice at 9:04AM on Oct 1st 2007
29. DD you know what.. I am going to forward these comments to Miller Beer. ALL of them. So they can see the overwhelming majority are not small minded bigots. Of all the offensive things wackadoos like you say or do I think supposing you speak for the majority is the worst. You do not. My guess is you do not even speak for a majority of Christians.
Joe at 9:09AM on Oct 1st 2007
30. There is a lot of hating today.
steve at 9:13AM on Oct 1st 2007