HOMOPHOBIA

I went to the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Last night to see a french fiction film. On my way to the theater I ran into Audrey and Martha who were having a conversation with the homophobic protesters out in the street. Martha, an expert in comparative religions was literally lecturing this poor redneck who had never seen an intelligent woman in his life - or had refused to see it. And Audrey and I started taking pictures and video of a father and his "wives" and kids, all holding banners with hateful messages. The man was not only homophobic but also misogynist - he said women have no brains... He was furious when I started asking his 6 yr old daughter if she really wanted to grow up to be a hateful person like her dad. The guy was furious, yelling on his megaphone that I was a pervert and I should not talk to his kids. It was a very pathetic scene to see his "wives" completely numb, also video taping us with small cheap handheld DV cams. I was going to be late for the movie, so I left. I was worried about the safety of Martha and Audrey. These people are blinded by ignorance, and they can justify their actions without really being aware of what they are doing.
When I approached the theater, heard the music, so the great people outside, I had a very nice feeling of safety and comfort. The movie was so cute, about a 19 yr old guy that discovers gay Paris. I bought a Festival T-Shirt when I left. The crazy wakos were no longer there. Thank god! It's really not fair on those kids. I have the feeling that today and tomorrow they will be there again... We shall see. I will let you know.

UPDATE: I just spoke with the girls. It turned out that they knew two of the picketers. The husband and the son of a woman who works at UT... Maybe they had never known anyone close to them that was gay or lesbian, but there was certainly a shock in their values when these guys realized they were yelling pervert to people who work with their mom and wife every day. It was also a shock for Martha to realize that these are everyday people...