Methinks someone doth protest too loudly...
Posted on 03/19/2013 12:43:35 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
At least 10 venues have canceled previously scheduled Michelle Shocked concerts following homophobic speech made by the former alt-folk icon at a San Francisco show on Sunday night. During her second set at Yoshi's, she took the time to comment on California's controversial Proposition 8, which invalidated the momentary legality of gay marriage in the state, and which is currently under review by the Supreme Court.
"When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back," she said according to USA Today and others. She was referring to the Rapture, the time when many Christians believe Christ will return to separate the faithful from the rest, signifying nothing less than the end of the world. "You can go to Twitter and say, 'Michelle Shocked said God hates fags.'"
The latter statement has been quoted a few different ways, but the meaning never changes. Various reports say that the crowd began to leave as her tirade began. According to the Guardian, the club's manager attempted to end the concert but she held court until staff pulled the plug on her and turned on the lights. Although Shocked was once known for left-leaning politics, she has identified herself as "born again" for some time.
The uproar that followed her latest remarks has resulted in rude Twitter bullying (calls for her to kill herself) but also some productive criticism with real-world consequence. A Change.org petition calling for venues to cancel Shocked's forthcoming shows has received over 2,000 signatures thus far, and venues in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Colorado have taken heed, many issuing statements denouncing her words.
"Freedom of speech and artistic expression are critically important, but this isn't free speech," wrote the petition's author, LBGT activist John Becker. "This is hate speech. And in a world where LGBT people are bullied from the pulpit, on the playground, and at the polls, anti-gay hate speech can have serious consequences including legitimizing bullying and hate crimes, and increasing victims' risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide."
Shocked has yet to respond to SPIN's request for comment, and the contact information on her website is at least partially outdated (Conqueroo publicist Cary Baker hasn't worked with her in four years, he says). She hasn't issued any follow-up remarks via Twitter either, though has been retweeting a hot streak of comments from others — some related to this incident, others having to do with faith, and others still unrelated.
While Shocked has issued anti-gay comments before — "Who drafted me as a gay icon?" she reportedly told a crowd at the Christian Wild Goose Festival in 2011, "You are looking at the world’s greatest homophobe. Ask God what He thinks." — she has presented a conflicted profile on homosexuality over the years. In a 1990 issue of Chicago's OutLines, she spoke openly about having had a "woman lover."
"I resent like hell that I was maybe 18 years old before I even heard the 'L' word," she said. "I mean, that's understood, growing up sheltered in a Mormon environment. But it would have made all the difference for me had I grown up knowing that the reason I didn't fit in, was because they hadn't told me there were more categories to fit into ... I've never really been able to fit into square holes or round holes."
After rediscovering religion, Shocked seemed to equivocate: "There are some inconvenient truths that I'm now a born again, sanctified, saved-in-the-blood Christian. So much of what's said and done in the name of that Christianity is appalling. According to my Bible, which I didn't write, homosexuality is immoral. But homosexuality is no more or less a sin than fornication. And I'm a fornicator with a capital F."
Sadly, it seems she's replaced conversation and empathy with hate and intolerance.
As have you, Chris Martins, and the venues that canceled.
I assumed it also, based on her androgynous appearance. It could still be the case I suppose considering the laundry list of “evangelist sex scandals” or anti-gay activists caught as closet homosexuals themselves.
You, me and everyone else, including pretty much her entire fanbase of far-left militant lesbians.
That's what makes this outburst so bizarre.
Oh, I don’t consider Phelps a Christian. He’s a deranged individual and fraudster. I know of no Christian group that supports him or his theatrics.
David Bowie regrets some of his actions as well.
http://www.gigwise.com/news/78975/david-bowie-advises-young-fans-to-keep-away-from-drugs
He added: “Drugs had taken my life away from me. I felt as though I would probably die and it was going to be all over. My assistant, Coco, got me out of it. Thanks to her, I got myself out of America to Berlin.”
He eventually married a woman (a supermodel).
But Phelps remains the Left’s go-to-guy when it comes to pinpointing quotes condemning homosexuals when someone speaks out against the homosexual agenda (which seeks to subvert the established culture).
It used to be that people pushing the homo agenda on FR got ZOTTED.
But these last weeks I am shocked at how many here have come out posting support for homosexual marriage.
Last FReepathon I donated money instead of buying myself new winter boots, thinking I’ll sacrifice for the greater good. Today it was still snowing and many are openly supporting the homo agenda. Wonderful.
It would be curious to follow the money where Phelps is concerned.
I wonder if they seized his computer, what would they find on it?
Things that make you go, “Hmmm...”
I saw her play four or five times and at one show shortly after she was married, a group of militant lesbians were protesting her marriage and saying she had sold out her lesbian sisters in order to sell music.
At best she may have gone through a lesbian phase. Without question she played up the lesbian thing to sell music.
If people knew what I did before I was born again, no one would ever take me seriously as a devout Christian. What someone does at 18 is hard to deal with when you are coming to Christ, but it is all in the past and as far as the East is from the West. I have homosexuality in my family and the discussion has come up frequently. The facts are that abortion and homosexuality are no more sins to God than adultery and lying, but they are also no less sins. The problems arise when you believe God has changed His mind on homosexuality and abortion. Just because you want your cousin or Nephew to be OK with God as he performs abominations in front of Him, that doesn't mean he won't be judged. It's OUR rebellion against God that gets us into trouble. If 99.999% of the people think gay marriage is fine, that doesn't affect God in any way. He will still judge sin and throw the perps in Hell.
The word "HOLY" doesn't mean good. It means "separated" or "set aside". God requires His people to be Holy. We all sin, but we are to be separated from the world. If you agree with the world, then you aren't separated.
This lady's burden will now be to walk in her search for the Lord without caving in to the World. That will make her "holy". When we are saved, we are justified. As we live for Christ, we are sanctified. When we die, we are glorified. Sanctification is a daily picking up of our cross and following the Lord. That is what is required of her now. Lifting her up in prayer is what we should do for all our brothers and sisters under attack. All of us are under spiritual attack every day and need prayer. If she isn't strong, she may cave in and then we can all point our crooked fingers at her and say see, I knew it wasn't real. This happens to everyone all the time.
"There are some inconvenient truths that I'm now a born again, sanctified, saved-in-the-blood Christian. So much of what's said and done in the name of that Christianity is appalling. According to my Bible, which I didn't write, homosexuality is immoral. But homosexuality is no more or less a sin than fornication. And I'm a fornicator with a capital F."
She never admitted to being a lesbian and was married for years. But even if she was she’s not now. The Lord Jesus Christ got ahold of her and showed her the straight and narrow. Now that she speaks the truth about the immorality of sodomy she is of course blacklisted. Something tells me she could care less. Kuddos to her for speaking the truth.
Some of what she said, and she is absolutely correct.
“When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization and Jesus will come back,” Shocked said, according to concert attendee and reviewer James Patterson from The Bay Area Reporter. “I believe the Bible is the word of God.”
No one is blacklisting her, but instead she has managed to anger the entire population.
First, she angers moderate and conservative Americans by getting involved in leftist politics joining Occupy Wall Street to the extent that she is arrested and plays Occupy Wall Street concerts and now she has angered the gay and lesbian community and all who do not believe that “God Hates Fags.”
There is no one left who would be willing to pay money to see her sing.
“When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization and Jesus will come back,”
I am not quite sure that God has condoned gay marriage in New York, Iowa, Washington State, Washington DC, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Connecticut as well as Canada, Argentina and a dozen or so other countries and is now waiting for the California Prop. 8 case to be resolved by the SCOTUS to bring about the downfall of civilization.
>>>>Michelle Shocked is responding to the flood of criticism she sparked earlier this week with what’s been described as her anti-gay tirade during a recent performance in San Francisco, saying she does not oppose gay marriage.
During her concert on Sunday, audience members reported that she said, “When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry guys, it will be the downfall of civilization and Jesus will come back.” She subsequently told the crowd “You can go on Twitter and say ‘Michelle Shocked says God hates [epithet for gays].”
It was on Twitter that Shocked’s response to the episode has been unfolding.
To a fan’s question of “What are you up to?” on her Twitter account, Shocked replied, “Just my usual troublemaking, at the expense of dear friends who trust me, even when I appear to be gay-bashing.”
She also tweeted, “I’m neither against a woman's right to choose nor gay marriage. Am a fundamentalist tho.”
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