Them's Fightin' Words! Gay Bashers Not Welcome in San Francisco

If you want to befriend members of a women's political organization, you should support women's issues and generally have a female-friendly, non-misogynist attitude. If you want to be accepted in the African American community, it would behoove you, not to be a bigot. Trying to communicate with Hispanic Americans? Ditch the anti-immigrant lingo. And if you have any notion of being welcomed in San Francisco, gay-bashing is not your smartest approach.

A group of militant Texas Christian youth felt the cold shoulder when they tried to infuse the city of tolerance with their rigid, fundamentalist message. BattleCry, a group, affiliated with TeenMania, who scheduled their missionary event near San Francisco's city hall, is known for their intolerant anti-gay stance and their literal interpretation of bible verses. Little wonder then that San Franciscans were not impressed with their performance and political leaders voiced concern over the group's hate-based message.

While BattleCry claims to be an antidote to today's sex and crime riddled world, it also clearly supports an aggressive stance on issues. Names like BattleCry and TeenMania don't elicit much confidence in rational or peace-loving people. In rallies, kids are assaulted with images of war and domination, imparting the notion that only force can spread the kingdom of God. I wonder what impact such indoctrination has on impressionable young minds.

The protests the group provoked in San Francisco may have been just what it was looking for. When opposition arises, real or imagined, extreme religious groups have a tendency to get on the martyr bandwagon and soak up the resulting support from sympathizers. Opposition furthers the ministry. After all, aren't they suffering persecution for Christ?

The teens are called 'warriors' and they are fighting a holy war. With their rock music and powerful speeches, they proclaim its message. It condemns women who forgo the traditional, patriarchal, male-dominated marriages. It condemns gay men and women who chose to live honestly instead of hiding their true nature. It glorifies Bush, the war in Iraq, blood shed, and theocracy. It promotes a supremacist attitude toward indigenous cultures. It demands chastity and purity - at least of the women. And it does it all with strong images and powerful wordage.

Only a few years ago, movements such as this one would have been called cults. Parents were cautioned to investigate, if their teens became involved in extremist religious organizations. BattleCry and TeenMania are televangelist-endorsed and church affiliated. At least on the surface, they appear to have some legitimacy.

Still, I'm concerned to see young minds whipped up in fascistic frenzy and indoctrinated with intolerant ideas. Times have changed and churches have become many times more powerful. We can only hope that this movement will eventually lose its momentum and fizzle out in the sands of time. Currently, this doesn't seem possible. A mega industry is powering the machine of persuasion.

Do you worry about your kids joining up with a movement of this kind? Maybe you should. But maybe, teaching them critical thinking and at the same time giving them an emotional home base in the family will keep them from looking elsewhere for answers. Take charge of your family, so nobody else will. There is much danger in peer pressure and the media, but ultimately much more in militant teen cults, with or without church endorsement.