Wilmington Pride’s Protest against Seagate Community Chapel

www.facebook.com/wilmingtonpride

During the 2nd week of August 2010 passerby’s noticed the church sign at Seagate Community Church located at 5823 Oleander Drive and became outraged.  The news reported the sign’s existence and two community members decided to do something about it,  Rachel Rene Clary and Lindsay “El Train” who are girlfriends created a facebook event together called “Just a peaceful Kissing Protest”.  The Protest  invited community members to protest peacefully on Sunday August 14t from 11:30-12:30pm during Seagate’s church service.  When Wilmington Pride President TR Nunley saw the facebook event, he contacted El Train who was a friend of facebook.  TR asked if the protest’s intentions were peaceful and what would happen if their was opposition.  El Train explained that the protest would be violent FREE and that demonstrators would be instructed not to reply back to church members.  After hearing that we were on the same page, Wilmington Pride did a new event page and invited all Wilmington Pride Outreach members.  Wilmington Pride members shared the invite and invited other friends and talked about the protest online.  To join the Outreach page and get connected to events add us at:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/129198506095/.    Then a flyer was generated by a few community members the day before the protest and was personally distributed by TR Nunley and other community members who generated the flyers.  Support was also gained from UNCW Pride and the LGBTQ Resource Center at UNCW.

In the middle of the night some of the signs letters were removed and what was left was “God Loves Gays”  and then in the early morning somebody drew a heart with spray paint.  We don’t condone taking property or destroying property.

The next morning before church service, the sign was changed by the church members to say “God loves gays but hates Sin”.

At the Protest people peacefully lined up with protesters in hand and friendly hands waving to traffic that passed by.  We were located directly across the street from the church on the grass, in front of the parking lot of Papa John’s Pizza.  Around 12:00 the doors opened and a middle aged man and pre-teen children walked out with bottles of water.  They crossed the street and offered water to the Protesters.  The church member and child were very polite.  Our protesters were in return very polite to them.  After the church members left, three police cars entered the scene.

The police were called a motorist who said we were too close to the road.  To be very honest, we were a little close to the road.  Oleander Drive is a very busy street.  We were asked to set back.  At first we stepped back 2 feet from the road and then 6 feet from the road.  The police asked if we had a permit and we said “No”.   The police began to check around to see if we indeed needed a permit for the location we were protesting.

During this time, a second wave for church members crossed the street with more water and sodas including Pastor David Heuring.  They continued to be polite in speaking to us and we were gracious as well.

Then at approximately 12:25 the police explained that we did need a permit to protest next to the road however we could protest in the parking lot in front of Papa John’s.  The Pastor came up to me and suggested that our protesters could continue to protest on the church’s property in front of the church.

We declined because we only planned to be there until 12:30 anyways.  We thought that we made our point.

During the time in which the church service members were giving our drinks, a dialogue happened however I don’t think that we changed their minds.

What we did do is put Wilmington Pride on the map as an organization that stands up to bullies, even polite bullies who used a sign to promote Hate.

I was one the last person to leave and the sign was not destroyed however when I returned at 6pm that same day to do a news interview, the sign was completely damaged.  Fox News reported that a man drove up to the church, got out of his vehicle and smashed the sign with a hammer.  This person is not affiliated with Wilmington Pride or any other organization associated with the protest.  We sympathize with the church and do not condone any violence.

Despite the dialogue, the church will continue to put up offensive messages and we will continue to protest them if they put up homophobic signs.  If you want to be apart of the next protest and you have a facebook please add us on the Outreach page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/129198506095/.   You can also add us on facebook at Wilmington Pride and if you want to contact us by email our address is Wilmingtonpride@gmail.com.

Below are various news reports.

News Reports:

WHQR:  http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1841379

WECT: http://www.wect.com/story/15246917/church-sign-causing-controversy

WWAY:  http://www.wwaytv3.com/2011/08/16/churchs-anti-gay-sign-vandalized

NC Equality:  http://equalitync.org/news1/wilmington-pride-protests-local-church-telling-gays-to-turn-or-burn