Listen Up

Is this anyone's idea of effective marketing?

When I first saw this, I supposed that I'd happened upon the world's most sinful dog adoption event. But it turned out that there was also a Pride exhibition going on in the building that day.

There were churches in attendance with booths set up, at least a couple, and nary a mention of fire and/or brimstone between them. It was only these guys outside who seemed to have a bone to pick. I don't know what it is about this particular convention center that draws in the local Evangelical crowd, but it seems that every time I go there, or go by there, there is some obvious proselytizing going on, even if it's only leaving cards and leaflets all over the place.

What these two, standing out in what was a fairly warm day for the local area with their sign and bullhorn, were hoping to accomplish was unclear to me. The churches that had registered to set up inside seemed to be a more welcoming bunch. So I can't rule out that being unwelcoming is, in fact, the point of displays like this; a loud and visible reminder to everyone in the area (let alone the people attending the Pride event) that these guys though of themselves as quite literally holier-than-thou. Because, let's face it, no one was going to sign up for these guys' church on the basis of what they were doing. You couldn't even see what church they belonged to, if they displayed it at all (that may have been what the small picture frame on the ground near the many holding the sign was for). They certainly didn't have any visible literature to give anyone.

So all they seemed to be doing was telegraphing their opposition to queerness. Which, okay; but I'm pretty sure that anyone who's the least bit aware of religious conservatism in the United States is well aware of that opposition. That's not something that needs to be constantly shouted from the street corners. Unless the shouting is the point of it all.