Posted on 01/20/2006 2:35:05 PM PST by notes2005
NEW YORK - Three months before the annual Easter egg roll at the White House, the usually festive event is already taking on a divisive edge because of plans by gay- and lesbian-led families to turn out en masse in hopes of raising their public profile.
The Family Pride Coalition and other organizers envision the April 17 action as a celebration that will earn good will and showcase their families engaging in the annual tradition.
"It's important for our families to be seen participating in all aspects of American life," said Family Pride executive director Jennifer Chrisler.
Yet some conservatives, alerted to the plans this week, accuse gay activists of trying to "crash" an event for children and turn it into forum for ideological politicking. Some groups are discussing ways to respond.
"It's improper to use the egg roll for political purposes," said Mark Tooley of the conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy. Tooley wrote a critical article this week in the Weekly Standard magazine about the planned event that has circulated widely on conservative Web sites.
Since the article appeared Tuesday, Chrisler said Family Pride has received "a flood of hate-filled, venomous messages telling us that our families aren't welcome."
"It's not surprising that the right would be against it," Chrisler said. "They are very clear about wanting to make our families invisible."
The issue was raised at a White House news briefing Wednesday when spokesman Mark McClellan was asked if President Bush would seek to prevent the gay families' action.
"This event is a time to celebrate Easter and to have a good family celebration here at the White House," McClellan replied. "In terms of any other details about it, I think it's still a few months off, so we'll talk about it as we get closer."
On conservative chat rooms, some critics of Family Pride suggested the White House could make the egg roll an invitation-only event, as it did in 2003 when attendance was limited to military families. Other critics said conservatives should mobilize to outnumber gay families at the egg roll.
Susan Whitson, press secretary to first lady Laura Bush, indicated the White House was unlikely to restrict admission to the egg roll.
"All families are really welcome to attend," she told The Associated Press on Friday, provided they comply with rules that each family group have no more than two adults and include at least one child under 8.
Chrisler, who raises twin boys with a spouse she married in Massachusetts in 2004, intends to bring her family to the egg roll. She said organizers were intent on proceeding despite any criticism, but that plans might change if, closer to Easter, confrontations seemed possible.
"I'm a parent first — I would never want to put my child, or anyone else's child, in harm's way," she said. "If we get any intelligence about that happening, we'll make a decision."
Family Pride has been recruiting participants for several months. Chrisler said more than 100 families had signed up thus far and hopes at least 400 eventually enlist.
"Religious and political extremists who oppose our equality have targeted our planned participation in this event, saying we have no right to 'crash' the White House Egg Roll," Chrisler wrote to supporters Thursday.
"That's not our goal," she said. "We simply want our children and our families to be able to fully participate in an event generations of children have enjoyed."
Free tickets to the egg roll will be distributed first-come, first-served starting at 7:30 a.m. on April 15 — two days before the event. Family Pride has urged its supporters to be in line the night before so their families can be among the first on the White House lawn.
To ensure visibility for the action, Family Pride will issue T-shirts to participants, bearing a "nonpolitical message" that would identify them as gay and lesbian families. Chrisler said the T-shirt theme would be "Love makes a family."
Co-sponsors of the effort include Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and Soulforce, a national interfaith group.
The egg roll, in which children use spoons to push dyed eggs through the grass in a race, has been a Washington tradition since the mid-19th century. Last year, 16,000 tickets were issued.
That's exactly what they're trying to do. Shameful.
Amen! Glad this is getting more exposure - we also discussed it when the Weekly Standard article came out: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560039/posts
Brokeback Bunny
Yes, it is good to see that folks are going to stop the deviants from hijacking this little piece of Americana.
They are obsessed with gaining access to other people's children.
People could always counter-protest by showing up with NAMBLA T-shirts and pretend to be a gay "family" for the TV crews.. just a thought...
That's why they take them to the debauche called the Gay Pride Parade. Oh Lord, what will the Garden Bunny bring this year?
I like it - we could also wear "Love makes a family" T-shirts.
Correction. These are not families. They are households. Goddam perverts.
Guess which families are going to win the Easter Egg Hunt contest this year?
Try finding those eggs....
Make sure the Police break-up any games of leap-frog that they observe!
Maybe....
BrokeEgg Roll?
maybe they'll hold an Easter 'sperm roll' just to be fair?
How annoying. I could care less...lesbian, gay, bi-, whatever. Just stop with all the infantile grandstanding, get a life, and keep your orientation out of my face. It makes you no more or less significant than anyone else. Guess what GLBwhatever alliance? An event like this is not about how you you like your bread buttered, so get over yourselves.
I've wondered what a movie theater would do if a priest accompanied by altar boys or a Scout leader with his Cub Scouts showed up to purchase tickets for Brokeback Mountain. The theater would have a quandry. I suspect the cops would be called and the tickets not sold.
The White House is handling this right. Anyone is allowed to show up.
The best response would be to ignore this. If the gay crowd wants to politicize this, the White House staff should have ways to deal with it. "If you have a question of the president, please write it down and we'll see that he gets it." "We need everyone to stay in line so that we can get all of you in."
Basically, the gay and lesbian crowd would either have to follow the rules or see headlines the following day "Gay protest forces cancellation of Easter Egg Roll." I don't think any activist group wants to be associated with making kids cry. And if they do, they could cost the left 5 points in the polls.
Hide all the eggs in the closet; maybe we can get them back in there and out of our face.
Love does NOT make a family.
GOD makes a family, as described in His Word.
Great idea, goad the GBLT (pronounced `giblet') "families" into angry confrontations with counterprotesters who look just like them. Hold up signs, "we're here, we're queer, and we're in your face!" Turn it into a circus. It's unfortunate for the real families present, but there's a golden Freeper opportunity here.
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