according to an article in the Philadelphia Gay News days before the street festival, homosexual organizers were planning to block Christians from access to the event.

Chuck Volz, senior adviser to Philly Pride Presents, told the publication the Pink Angels security force would carry large signs alongside the Christians to surround them and block their access to OutFest participants.

"We'll have a pink wall around them," he said. "Hopefully, they will be so frustrated they won't come again. Talking to a piece of Styrofoam is not the same as talking to a crowd of people."

Volz also made clear that "diversity" was not the goal of the street festival.

"It's our event, and we're not going to permit vendors or community groups that conflict with the theme of the event," he said. He said welcoming Christians to the street festival would be analogous to a black event welcoming white supremacists.

Police said they would have cordoned off the permitted area for OutFest, preventing protesters from attending, had event organizers obtained an injunction from a judge. But OutFest organizers did not get an injunction.

Dan Anders, an attorney for Philly Pride Presents, said: "Our position is that they are not welcome to attend, they haven't been invited to attend, and we would rather that they protest the event from outside the permitted area."

Volz admitted in the report that OutFest organizers didn't have a leg to stand on in keeping out people exercising their First Amendment rights in a public venue.

Fortunately for Mr. Volz and his organization, not having a leg to stand on doesn't seem to matter. What is right, legally or otherwise, is beside the point in Philadelphia.

Previous posts on the subject:
"Unprecedented abuse of power silences Christian message"
Follow up on Philadelphia story
Following the story out of Philly
More on the "Philadelphia 5"

Labels: David C. Price