Petitions aim to stop gay parade in Kalispell
A petition is being circulated to try to persuade the Kalispell City Council to forbid a gay pride parade scheduled June 20 downtown.
That petition drive has collected about 200 signatures so far, said Barry Brubaker, who organized the drive.
Brubaker and four others spoke against either the planned parade or the gay community at Monday's council meeting.
Meanwhile, 13 people spoke in support of the parade.
The council did not discuss the parade Monday because the issue was not on its agenda.
Parade organizers have all the proper permits and paperwork, Interim City Manager Myrt Webb said.
This will be the fifth year for the Montana Pride Celebration in Montana. Billings hosted the parade for two years, and Helena hosted it for two more years before Kalispell was selected for 2009.
Part of Brubaker's petition read: "We feel by allowing such activities as this planned gay pride parade that it will further erode morality and set precedence for future lasciviousness and lewd displays that other communities have experienced with allowing such activities.
The petition continued: "The children and fellow citizens of our community should not be subject to see such displays that are in such direct defiance to God's laws, His work and that are so openly immoral in nature."
Brubaker said: "This is what my Lord and Savior said is an abomination."
He and others portrayed the upcoming parade as supporting an immoral ungodly life - although some acknowledged that holding a parade is a protected Constitutional right.
A man who declined to verify his name contended that the upcoming parade has "an underlying agenda" that could lead to parades for rapists and pedophiles.
And as the Rev. David Beaulieu of Valley Victory Church put it: "My concern is we're beginning to redefine things. That what we call good becomes evil. That what we call evil becomes good."
Supporters of the parade countered that God does not condemn gays, diversity is good for the community, the parade is Constitutionally protected, it will be a conventional parade, and the council should embrace that day's activities.
"It's a wonderful experience, not the San Francisco experience of years ago, but a dignified, uplifting experience," Kathy Kelly said.
Diane Taylor said she listened to a Presbyterian minister tell his congregation about what Jesus said about homosexuality -and the minister proceeded to say nothing for a long time.
"If Jesus wasn't concerned, why should we be?" she said.
D.J. Lopez said that Jesus' "biggest commandment was to love, and I hope the council carries it out."
Seth Vickers responded to the comment about rapists and pedophiles: "This is truly not in the slightest of what we're about. … This will be a peaceful celebration of diversity."
"So many people are afraid to come out because of who they are, and are beaten up in an alleyway," Allison Keene said.
No significant disruptions were reported at the Billings and Helena events. Roughly 400 to 500 people attended each.
Last month, Kalispell police investigated an anonymous e-mail warning about people preparing to disrupt the parade -and found no confirmation of the threat, Police Chief Roger Nasset said.
Nasset is expecting people to show up at the Kalispell parade to protest it, but he has heard of no subsequent threats of violence.
Extra police officers will be on duty that day, he said.
The Kalispell schedule calls for a June 19 evening dance at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell; the June 20 parade at 10 a.m.; and a June 20 afternoon fair with booths at Depot Park followed by another dance at the Red Lion.
The activities are open to both gay and straight people.
The event concludes on the morning of June 21.
Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com