Religious rally interrupts life on Kirkwood

A group of demonstrators gathered Monday at the corner of Kirkwood and Indiana Avenues to express their views on homosexuality in America. The anti-homosexual protesters, made up of mostly men and a few women and children, were from Old Paths Baptist Church in Campbellsburg, Ind.\nSome of the protesters were also from Pennsylvania, using vacation time to join the local group.\nThe demonstrators stood on the corner and shouted while holding up signs and banners saying, "God hates fags," "AIDS cures fags," and "Fag Jonathan Gilbert will soon join Matt Shepherd in Hell."\nLocal citizens and students quickly showed up to protest the message at the site and began spreading their own opposition message.\nA wide range of people, both homosexual and not, showed opposition to the demonstration. Most of the people opposed to the protests said they were surprised and saddened by the demonstrations. \nAnita De Castro, a high school student taking classes at IU said she first saw the anti-homosexual protesters as she walked out of class. \n"This is something I didn't think I'd see in Bloomington," she said.\nThe demonstrators said what they were doing was ministry, not protest. \n"IU is symbolic, if not actual headquarters for the sodomite agenda," said Old Paths Baptist Church pastor John Lewis. "Those who accommodate are perpetrators of sin. IU has perpetuated the lie that it is OK to be gay." \nBob Patenaude said the message of the demonstrators was "not one of hate."\n"This is not a protest, we're just speaking for the Lord," he said. "We protest the destruction of our nation by the ungodly. I abhor gay people." \nChristine and DJ Shaffer brought their family from Pennsylvania to help in the demonstration. \n"We're making people believe in God," Christine Shaffer said. \nDJ Shaffer said he did not agree with the direction that society is heading. \n"It seems to be so accepted today to do what you want," he said. "People need to confess Jesus and believe in the bible."\nAfter about an hour, the anti-gay protesters moved down to People's Park at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street. The opposing protesters soon followed, and both demonstrations picked up in pitch. Shouting from both sides ensued and small conflicts began to erupt. An unidentified man ran up to one of the male anti-gay protesters and kissed him on the cheek, to which the protester replied, "Watch out man, the fags are kissing us now!" Another anti-homosexual protester screamed, "This is my corner, you go and find your own corner!" \nOpposition demonstrators shouted epitaphs and retorts in return. More and more people began to join the opposition crowd, many of them bringing posters and signs bought from a poster shop nearby. One man with a megaphone shouted, "You guys are no better than Osama bin Laden!"\nAdam Weiss, an openly gay senior at IU expressed his discontent.\n"I think this is ridiculous," Weiss said. "It's very closed minded … we have so many diverse cultures." Weiss was accompanied by two other IU students. \n"It's one thing to have opinions, it's another thing to be offensive," said senior Jaime Freebairn. "You should be able to walk down Kirkwood and not be harassed."\nRev. Linda C. Johnson, the Episcopalian Chaplain to IU was summoned to the scene by one of her students. \n"I came out to talk to students to help them understand that all Christians do not promote hate," Johnson said. "This is a community of learning, not a community of hate. Outsiders have come in to be aggressive in this community of learning." \nThe anti-homosexual demonstrators left at about 3 p.m. Many of the opposing protesters stayed and continued to converse in the park. Signs left behind from both groups littered the sidewalk at day\'s end, an evident sign of the conflict the streets had harbored. \nAlthough the event was relatively peaceful, Bloomington Police were still on hand to ensure the safety of all involved.