GAY PRO-LIFE LEADERS ARRESTED AT NATIONAL PRO-LIFE MARCH

www.PLAGAL.org ^ | Jan 22, 2002 | PLAGAL

[helmsman]

Washington, D.C. January 22, 2002. Leaders of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians (PLAGAL) were arrested today at the 29th annual March for Life. The arrests were conducted by the United States Park Police by direct orders of Miss Nellie Gray the March for Life Leader and holder of the permit, according to the Park Police.

PLAGAL President Cecilia Brown and Vice-President Eric Jurek were at the March for Life for the sole purpose protesting the 1973 Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion-on-demand. They were simply carrying the PLAGAL Banner -- which states the organization's name and "Human Rights Start When Human Life Begins." Brown, Jurek, and the rest of the PLAGAL delegation were approached by the officers and ordered to remove the offending sign. Consistent with their deeply held pro-life convictions, they refused. Police back-up arrived at the scene. At that time, though not resisting arrest, Brown and Jurek were wrestled to the ground and dragged to an area away from the crowds were they were handcuffed and taken away.

"How can Miss Gray claim to stand for the dignity of all human life while at the same time denying gays and lesbians our dignity in openly defending the rights of all human beings to life?" asked PLAGAL Vice-President, Ms. B.A. Keener. She then went on to comment, "Most every group that attends the March for Life openly identifies itself with signs and banners -- be they Feminists, Democrats, Catholics, etc. It seems that PLAGAL has been targeted by the leadership of the March for Life simply because of their sexual orientation. PLAGAL and its leaders have a long and solid history in pro-life activism."

"Nellie Gray, in a meeting a few years ago, stated PLAGAL may participate in the March for Life so long as we do not identify ourselves as lesbians and gays," stated Moses Remedios, VP for Media Relations. "That's as offensive as telling an African American, 'you can ride on the bus, but just sit in the back.'"

Prior to the arrest Brown stated, "PLAGAL participates in the March because we believe in positive, life-affirming alternatives to the tragedy of abortion. To say that we have no place for open participation in the pro-life movement is not only counter-productive, but it simply wrong." She then went on to say, "We urge Miss Gray to set aside her personal biases, and "FREE THE MARCH" for Life, by allowing all peaceful, pro-life groups to stand in solidarity with women and the unborn."

We are appalled that Miss Gray is incapable of setting aside her personal sentiments against gays and lesbians, thus prohibiting, with the use of police force, our open participation in the pro-life movement," stated Ms. Keener who went on to say, "By this malevolent act and to her detriment, Miss Gray has moved the focus of the March for Life away from the protection of the unborn -- where it belongs -- to the participation of lesbians and gays."

All those wishing to express their disgust with the March for Life for this malicious and divisive act of exclusion are encouraged to contact the March for Life at info@marchforlife.org. For pictures and the latest information on this developing story please visit our website at http://www.plagal.org.

[helmsman]

I may be setting off a firestorm here, but here goes anyway. Let me first say that I am extremely grateful for all that Nellie Gray has done for the pro-life cause in all of her years of activism. However, after having put up with her irrational hatred of gay pro-lifers for so long, I believe that she has now finally crossed the line. To have fellow pro-lifers arrested, due soley to her belief that homosexuality is somehow a vastly more egregious sin than any other, is an impossibly hypocritical, cruel, and senile act.

Not to mention that, as challenged for allies as the pro-life movement is these days, to shove people away because they happen to be, like every other living human being (according to the teachings of Jesus Christ), living in sin, is ridiculously self-defeating.

So now, thanks to Nellie Gray's actions, the March For Life, which is supposed to be about saving babies from abortion, has been turned into a controversy about homosexual pro-lifers and their right to protest alongside others. I may be the only one here who feels this, but I am profoundly ashamed.

[AppyPappy]

It does seem rather odd they would have pro-lifers arrested.

[sheik yerbouty]

There's got to be more to this. It just doesn't ring true.

[Fee]

Gay people should have an interest in abortion issues. Gay proponents claim that being gay is genetic, sooner or later some scientist is going to "prove" the gene exists. There lies the trap. What is going to prevent parents aborting fetuses after a genetic screening showing it may be "gay"?? Aborting fetuses because it is "gay" will not sit well with the gay community. In the long run the gay community and the abortion community is going to clash on this issue. It may not happen if both communities come together and write Politically Correct abortion laws - abortion allowed for all cases except "gay" fetuses. Conservatives will have a field day with that one.

[Romulus]

Interesting accusation, but I doubt we have the whole story here. It smells like a manufactured incident, intended from the get-go to culminate in an indignant press release.

[mountaineer]

. The arrests were conducted by the United States Park Police by direct orders of Miss Nellie Gray the March for Life Leader and holder of the permit, according to the Park Police.

There's more to it than the homosexuals are telling. The police don't arrest people on the "orders" of a civilian. I would guess these folks started behaving a lot worse than they're letting on.

I'm curious as to why the gay group is so adamant about putting their group's name on their banner. Why do they have their own group? What does their choice of sexual practices have to do with the issue of abortion, anyway?

[pubmom]

I agree, something is wrong.

Were they passing out some type of offensive literature?
I'm sure there is more to this than what the article states.

[pubmom]

Exactly.

[helmsman]

Aborting fetuses because it is "gay" will not sit well with the gay community. In the long run the gay community and the abortion community is going to clash on this issue.

A simply brilliant point, Fee. If the pro-abortion mentality continues (when a baby is, in any way, less than perfect, abort it) then parents will readily abort their gay unborn babies, should they detect this gay gene in a prenatal test. It may very well turn out to be that, in the future, gays may owe their continued existence soley to the refusal of pro-life parents to abort them.

[Khepera]

Arresting homosexuals is good for society and the nation. It should be done whenever these people flaunt their lifestyles in public. Its for the children.

[madprof98]

I know a lot about this incident and what led up to it because several of these people are good friends, and I was there two years ago when the Park Police attempted a similar arrest on Nellie Gray's orders. Miss Gray has grown testier and testier about the political leanings of participants in "her" march--and she alone holds the permit for it. Three years ago she ordered PLAGAL out of the march, and the group did leave. Then, two years ago, after extensive conversations with the group, she tried to have the leaders arrested. The police backed off, fortunately, and Father Frank Pavone (of Priests for Life) personally intervened and thanked PLAGAL for participating. I don't know what happened last year, but I was not surprised to see an arrest this year.

I am deeply disturbed that a single woman is attempting to dictate who can and cannot declare him or herself a pro-lifer. Banners abound at the march for every sort of cause, including the "ex-gay" movement. The PLAGAL people are very sincere pro-lifers who take a beating in the gay community for their public stance (at Pride rallies, for instance, where abortion-rights people come out in force). For them to be turned away from the March for Life is outrageous and self-defeating.

[truthandlife]

Consider the source:

www.PLAGAL.org

[helmsman]

I'm curious as to why the gay group is so adamant about putting their group's name on their banner. Why do they have their own group?

Probably for the same reason that feminists, blacks, and people of various different religions have their own groups -- to show that the pro-life movement is diverse and contains people from all walks of life, not just women-hating white religious men, as is often the liberal media's portrait of the movement.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Homosexuality is the culture of death, or at least a modus operandi of free will and determined anti-procreationism, a lifestyle that accounts for no acceptance of one of the basic tenants of human nature and scientific reality: that of the generation or regeneration of human life and furthering of the human species.

They have no business pushing their gay agenda, which is probably more important to them than the abortion issue, IMHO.

[madprof98]

Probably for the same reason that feminists, blacks, and people of various different religions have their own groups -- to show that the pro-life movement is diverse and contains people from all walks of life, not just women-hating white religious men, as is often the liberal media's portrait of the movement.

That is EXACTLY right! PLAGAL and similar groups (like Feminists for Life) have been trying for years to get media coverage of their opposition to abortion. PLAGAL shows up at Gay Pride rallies to make the point that people need not agree with all the views of the conservative Right in order to take a stand against the tragedy of abortion. I think the pro-life movement should advertise its diversity instead of stifling it. It would do a lot to counteract the image the media has presented.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I'll bet Paul Harvey would have more on this tip of the iceberg, i.e. there is most probably a "rest of the story" re: this staged incident that the 'victims' are not telling us.

[ArGee]

I was there, I didn't see this happen. The entire event was handled very peacefully and tastefully. pubmom, you said you didn't see anything negative.

I also suspect something more than this release tells. I also have a problem with one quote.

"That's as offensive as telling an African American, 'you can ride on the bus, but just sit in the back.'"

Black isn't a behavior, it's a skin color. If someone had been there with a sign proclaiming, "Gangstas for life" I'd have probably had a problem with it, no matter how many congressmen they promised to lobby or no matter how much fundraising they promised to do.

If Nellie doesn't want her group affiliated with homosexuals, it doesn't have to be. The whiners can go arrange their own march.

Shalom.

[helmsman]

Homosexuality is the culture of death..

I don't see how not reproducing is equivalent to killing or death. As I've pointed out in the past, there has never been a single unborn baby that has met dismemberment due to an act of homosexual activity. Heterosexual activity, on the other hand, has indirectly led to millions of abortions. The fault lies with the individuals who decide to abort, of course, not the sex itself. But perhaps you see what I mean.

[AmericanInTokyo]

IMHO, it seems to be a subtle, clever ploy to promote the gay agenda within prolife circles (infiltration, co-option, slick PR) than a viceversa of a pro-life co-opting of the gay movement.