Christians Oppose Folsom Fair Poster "Last Supper"

[LavenderLounge]

http://americansfortruth.com/news/mi...ndulgence.html

The wacko Christians (and the even wackier Catholic League) pressured Miller beer to remove their logo from Folsom Street Fair poster that depicts leather folks in a "Last Supper" pose. BUT, instead of showing the actual poster in question, they used a banner ad from the Sister's website, just to get their troops more riled up!

Here's my question: The photo they used has photo credit "Lavender Lounge" (me). Should I send a Cease and Desist letter?

[Pistol]

LOL....if you have some spare time on your hands Mark!

They're such idiots.

[IdolKnights]

It could only generate more publicity if you do

[PornTeam]

There is this one too:

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.a...20070926b.html

they should just come to the fair.

[LavenderLounge]

From a webmaster / SEO standpoint, it's interesting to note how many phony blogs and fake "news services" have been created to spread items like this. If you Google key words like "Folsom Fair Last Supper" you get dozens of cut-and-paste blog sites saying the same thing.

I haven't decided yet whether to send my C&D letter. It just fans the fire further.

[LavenderLounge]

I edited the C&D letter and wrote a press release. I decided to send it! More later, wish me luck.

[Madame0120]

http://americansfortruth.com/news/mi...ndulgence.html

The wacko Christians

Could we call the the wacko Fundies pls?

You'll give nutty Baptists like me, a bad name.

[DonMike]

There is this one too:

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.a...20070926b.html

they should just come to the fair.

I love this quote...

"On the one hand, homosexuals want to be known as a respected minority," he said. "On the other hand, they tolerate this anti-Christian bigotry and this perversion in the streets. They can't have it both ways."

Yeah, because you've been so welcoming to us up until now. These people have already dammed us and then they try to act like we bring their bigotry on ourselves. I also love that they use terms like "anti-Christian bigotry", as if to say that no homosexuals are Christian and those who don't belive in Christianity haven't been given more than enough reason to do so.

[Madame0120]

But but ...

Take it from a pretty straight, straight gal -poking the dog, never makes him your Friend. Sure it will get you press .. but all press isn't good press and that kind of "art" just gives the Fundies another photo op to point at, adding fuel to their holy fire.

As a Christian, and a very libral one at that, I understand the reaction. Just cause I love my gay fellow human beings, doesn't mean I could agree with putting out something so tasteless and disrespectful to my religion, or anyone else's.

Didn't anyone with common sense stand up and say ...

Yaknow ....

Maybe Sunday In The Park With George, would be a better choice.

Sigh ...

[gaybucks_chip]

I'm going to make a comment that goes against the grain.

I can really see why many Christians are offended by this. Yes, one can argue that it's parody, humor, and done in the spirit of good fun... but I also know that at least a portion of the community consists of angry gay men who feel (probably rightly) betrayed or persecuted by the religious right.

I'm sure that at least some of the people involved in creating and disseminating that image were doing it with the direct intention of offending the religious right. While I defend their right to speak and express as they choose, just as a matter of courtesy and decency, I don't agree with making a mockery of an image and religious icon that is central to Christian theology.

One can make the argument that you will never win with the religious loonies, but doing stuff like this simply fans the flames and gives them that much more ammunition to hate the gay community. It's a lot harder to hate someone who is tolerant and respectful than someone who is openly taunting you.

[DonMike]

Chip, I understand what you are saying and I agree that the image was offensive to a lot of people. However, they have been attacking us for years. How many gay pride celebrations have come with religious right attacks in the media, protests and fundies with bullhorns. Why is it up to us to keep taking the hits, standing back up as we wipe the blood from our faces and saying "please like us"? Maybe this wasn't the best way to do it because they also hurt innocent bystanders with this image, but at the same time, isn't it time to stop playing the victim and give them a taste of their own medicine?

On the other hand, many western religions have been used to hurt the gay population. Many gay people have been led to suicide over the guilt of being an abomination in the eyes of the God they worship. The very idea of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is to eradicate Catholic guilt. They do what they do to help gay people get away from that feeling of being less than human because they are not accepted by the religion they grew up in. This photo, in some ways. follows that train of thought. While the image if the Last Supper may bring comfort to some, it's an image of hatred and persecution to others. So turning it into something we can embrace can finally bring comfort to a group of people who have always had a problem with that image.

I think the idea here is to embrace the images you like and let others embrace theirs.

[jIgG]

indeed

and those same people who have fun mocking and ridiculing others will be the first one to chastise and scream at anyone that dares to mock them.

If anyone, gay or straight, dared say anything negative about Folsom Fair or god forbid make fun of it they'd be labeled haters and homophobes immediately

[LavenderLounge]

Now that the fair is over and the protesters never showed up, I changed my mind about the Cease and Desist. I did not send it. I decided I would rather have one of my watermarked photos showing on one of their sites, then make a big deal about removing it.

Here's the essay I put on my blog instead:

http://www.lavenderlounge.com/blog/2...ster_piss.html

From Lavender Lounge Blog:

"The worst offender is a guy named William (Bill) Donahue that runs a group called "Catholic League". His website clearly explains that his group is not funded or associated with the Vatican or the multi-national corporation we know as the Catholic Church. He has a long-standing beef with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and saw an opportunity to once again get his face on all the talk shows.

SCANDALOUS PHOTO + CORPORATE SPONSOR + DRAG NUNS = BINGO!

(... and you know how important Bingo is to Catholics...)

With all the pieces in place, he is "... calling for more than 200 Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu organizations to join with us in a nationwide boycott of Miller beer...".

Oh yeah, losing the Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu beer drinkers in a boycott is really going to put a dent in Miller's sales ...

Apparently, Bill Donahue loves to be on TV talking about how sick and deviant other people are. That way, people will forget about the $660 million settlement for sexual abuse by priests in July 2007 and the $85 million settlement in 2002. And yes, it's the same Bill Donahue that was the subject of South Park's Easter Special where he declared himself Pope. "

[DonMike]

I was going to just start posting every last supper pic I could find in this thread but then I found a blog where someone has already done that.

http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/...es_the_outrage

[Madame0120]

I was going to just start posting every last supper pic I could find in this thread but then I found a blog where someone has already done that.

http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/...es_the_outrage

27 wrongs don't make a right .. and they had other choices, besides a Christian theme to promote the event, and would have rose far above the haters.

Kill `em w/ kindness?

Pick a date that falls on a Sunday that is important to the gay population, and go, enmass to church services. No outward symbols worn to identify yourself as gay or gay friendly, just another worshiper in the congragation.

To be sure that each gay visitor was noticed, supply a tithe envelope with a touch of the rainbow. A quiet statment by thousands of gay Christians, who feel abused and no longer welcome in their Houses of Prayer.

Someone will notice the money they miss out on, when they forget the message is LOVE.