Posted on 09/27/2009 8:39:14 PM PDT by Saije
The gay and lesbian community is calling for an investigation into a billboard that was destroyed. The billboard is just one of 5 put up for National Coming Out Day and features a gay Marine. The billboards were paid for by the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
"We had the idea to celebrate National Coming Out Day which is October 11th. It's a time that around the nation people say I'm proud to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender," said Heidi Williams, Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
The MGLCC wanted to get Memphis' attention but they didn't expect this. The vandalized billboard was located downtown on Poplar and was ripped to shreds. It featured a Marine wearing his uniform and the words "I'm gay and I protected your freedom". He is a Mid-south man who was kicked out of the military under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Williams said, "I believe that tearing down the billboard was a clear message and it was a hateful message."
Williams believes its more than just vandalism. She and others are asking for a full investigation by Memphis police to find out who's responsible.
"We have heightened security. It's not that we're going to retreat in fear. Our community is going to unite and stand strong and have our voices be heard louder," said Williams.
Among those speaking out will be the Marine featured on the vandalized billboard.
Williams says, "He's as proud as he was when he served his country and he is as proud to be gay as he was when he was a model for the billboard."
(Excerpt) Read more at wreg.com ...
Seems unless the Marines allowed him to use that uniform for such commercial purposes they could nail his wide receiver to the wall.
Some leftist anti-war freak no doubt
yes they could
Gays think everything is hate, not just plain disgust..I know hate and this is not hate...perhaps outrage but not hate.......idiots....
For once I’m really proud of Memphians. I have a neighbor that flies his rainbow flag right beside the Stars and Stripes.
snicker snicker snicker!!!!
I would pay to watch that happen!
Gay, Commercial, Billboard ???
But he was a Marine
I’m proud to be straight. Can I have a billboard?
“For once I’m really proud of Memphians.”
Sodomy is nothing to be proud of.
sure it is, just ask any rumper...
A tool of the so-called “gay rights” crowd which *threatens*
our freedom.
The Corps would NOT grant permission for any Marine to use the uniform for such a poster. He well may be discharged from the Corps already and used his uniform thus. The Corps will not be pleased and I would bet that poster goes down before too long.
I’m disappointed by some of the posts applauding this story. I thought only leftists believed in using vandalism to counteract messages they don’t like.
“I’m disappointed by some of the posts applauding this story. I thought only leftists believed in using vandalism to counteract messages they don’t like.”
As someone else noted, it may have been an anti-war lefty who tore it down possibly seeing it as glorifying the military. Really can’t be sure of the motives here.
Or maybe it was someone who considers billboards to be a blight...an environmentalist type.
Whether inspired by anti-war motives, anti-homosexual motives, or some other motive, this kind of vandalism is not something conservatives should cheer.
‘Whether inspired by anti-war motives, anti-homosexual motives, or some other motive, this kind of vandalism is not something conservatives should cheer.”
Who says the commenters are all conservatives? Anyway, not my job to defend everyone else’s comments, just my own and I didn’t do any cheering.
But since we’re speculating here, let’s say the organization put it up to be provocative, to get a reaction. Well they got that, and probably a lot more publicity by it being torn down than they would have otherwise. That might be a better reason why it shouldn’t have been destroyed.
The commenters may not be conservatives, true. Also, I was not trying to imply that you were in favor of the vandalism, but I can see why it might have seemed that way to you. My apologies.
I think we're both on the same side.
Plus you are pro homosexual agenda anyway aren’t you, including their agenda for the military and “marriage” and adoption etc.?
“Plus you are pro homosexual agenda anyway aren’t you, including their agenda for the military and “marriage” and adoption etc.?”
Huh? Don’t know about being pro-homosexual agenda. But I am pro-Marine. I’m not one but I know a few. And I think that whoever tore that billboard down was probably bothered more by the use of the uniform to promote some cause not connected with the Corps than what that cause was. Just my opinion.
It is timm22 that supports the homosexual agenda, he is a libertarian, I only included your name second because you were trying to deal with him.
“It is timm22 that supports the homosexual agenda, he is a libertarian..”
oh. I thought he was just against vandalism. And that he did have a point on that, conservatives have enough to deal with so often portrayed as violent racist redneck ignorant gun toting bible thumping thugs, we don’t need to give the opposition any free play.
That said, sometimes a man (or woman) has to do what he has to do and as I said I think whoever tore that billboard down just couldn’t stand seeing those dress blues being used for anything that doesn’t benefit or represent the Corps. Might have had the same reaction if it was a Marine selling Mountain Dew soda or something.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "pro homosexual agenda." Basically, I think gays should be left alone and that the government shouldn't treat them differently from anyone else without a rational basis for doing so. You can decide if that meets your definition of "pro homosexual agenda" or not.
None of that really matters, though. My point is anti-vandalism, not pro-homosexuality. I'm opposed to vandalizing property even if that property is used to promote anti-gay messages.
That's what I was thinking...
One problem: The Commander-in-Chief is a communist muslim scumbag named Barack Hussein Ubama, and I think his people are behind these billboards in preparation for his and the rats' all-out assault on the military. Look for "Ask and tell all you want", coming soon, to a barracks near you.
FRegards,
LH
Sometimes vandalism can reasonably be viewed as civil disobedience, especially when a group of perverts wants to promote its sick agenda in a public place where innocent, decent passers-by may include children. Personally, I am all for this kind of vandalism.
'He is a Mid-south man who was kicked out of the military under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.'
I’m sure a Marine did this - and I don’t blame him.
Just like the blasphemous billboards between dallas and Fort Worth disparaging the truth of Scripture for a sodomic lie.
You missed my point. I’m glad we stood up to these perverts.
One of the things I miss from becoming disabled is not being able to tell Marine jokes anymore.
“Something I’ve known most of my life is that if you take on the Marines, you’d better be ready to back it up. Actions have consequences but the left believes that doesn’t apply to them.”
This organization put up 5 billboards around Memphis and apparently this was the only one that was vandalized. Seems pretty that it wasn’t the “gay” part that incensed someone, it was the Marine image.
The Marines don’t want to be involved in anything controversial. They don’t exist to promote somebody’s social agenda, although if they were tasked to do that they would do it exceptionally well.
Wow. I didn't know you could be all four...at once...
I see. So the problem with the G20 vandals was not what they did, but rather their choice of targets and their motivations?
What if I see an Obama sticker on someone's car? They are promoting a man who wants to impose unConstitutional programs on the American public and who arguably wants to put us at greater risk of terrorist attack. Would I be justified in scraping up their bumper in an effort to fight the perverse agenda they support?
I don't believe the billboard showed any nudity. Just a man in a Marine uniform with the message "I'm gay and I protected your freedom."
Is it vulgar to acknowledge the existence of gay people, and the fact that some of them have served in the military?
When did having sex become an accomplishment?
My apologies. Your post didn’t read that way to me. Sorry.
I dont give a flying rats hind end what orientation people are. I do have a problem with other people deciding it should be common public knowledge - and forced on the children of this country. My sex life is private, I dont tell my kids what goes on when me and daddy close the door. NO ONE has the right to do that to MY kids. Tear the damned billboards down. Its socially and morally unjust.
The billboard didn't say anything about what goes on between gay people behind closed doors. It simply acknowledged that a gay man had served in the military.
It recognizing that fact so unconscionable that it justifies destruction of property to prevent it?
It Is recognizing that fact so unconscionable that it justifies destruction of property to prevent it?
Lee Harvey Oswald was also a Marine.
Wish the military would go back to the old way of drumming a dishonorable soldier, Marine, etc out of the service..have formation, have the dishonored one stand in front of the platoons and the officer in charge take his sword cut the buttons off the uniform, the rank insignia etc, literally strip the uniform down and march him off the base.
If you believe this is the message they have in mind, your are either sadly naive or your are in full agreement with the homosexual agenda.
Obviously the intent of the billboard was to argue that gays can be good, patriotic citizens like anyone else. It was probably also aimed at changing people's opinion on gays serving in the military.
What it did not do is encourage anyone to become gay or go into explicit details of the gay man's private sexual life. One can disagree with the proposition that gays are capable of being good citizens, or that gays should be able to serve openly in the military. However, I don't think either of those ideas are so evil as to justify destruction of other people's property.
If you disagree, where do we draw the line? For example, should people be able to advocate treating gays with civility in public life, or is it appropriate to use violence and destruction to prevent that message as well? What about the message "Don't use vandalism to fight the homosexual agenda"... is that so evil a message that a billboard presenting it should be torn down?
What about billboards that promote soulless materialism or the idea of ranking human worth based on wealth? Are vandals justified in tearing down those signs as well?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.