Radioactive and other nonsense

Nearly 40 Christians walked from a press conference held at the League headquarters building to the State House on Tuesday, March 22, 2005.  The spontaneous witness came about as a result of a phone call from a legislator appealing for the League to show support for marriage on the third floor.  He told League director Mike Heath that there were 50 homosexual activists pressuring legislators to vote in favor of the Governor's so called "gay rights" bill.  Heath decided to lead the Christians who came to the press conference over to the State House.  He announced his intentions at the start of the press conference.  All of the Christians who attended the press conference followed Heath to the State House.  The media recorded the entire walk.

Heath was greeted on the way up to the State House by a gaggle of reporters who had just finished listening to a hastily arranged pro homosexual press conference.  It was held at the same time as the League's press conference and it was organized by the radical group that calls itself "Equality Maine."  They are working to push the Boy Scouts of America out of Maine's public schools.  Click here  Equality Maine announced their press conference just two hours after the League announced theirs on Monday.

One reporter asked Heath if he was going to the "gay" press conference.  That was the first that Heath had heard of it.  Heath asked the reporter where it was being held.  He refused to reply, and insinuated that Heath did know about it.

The Christians proceeded to the third floor where they stood in prayerful witness.  They were well received by everyone except for the "gay" activists.  Many conversations with reporters and legislators ensued.

Heath spoke with many reporters.  One asked him how he would respond to the suggestion that he is "radioactive" in the State House.  Another suggested that Heath was avoiding the public hearing because he is afraid to face the Judiciary Committee.  This reporter suggested that members of the Judiciary Committee were prepared to publicly humiliate Heath for something that happened in March of 2004, a year ago.  The reporter suggested that Heath is afraid to face them.

Heath laughed.

The Governor's lobbyist, Lee Umphrey, stood nearby the peaceful Christian vigil comforting lesbian activist and former mayor of Portland, Karen Geraghty.  Umphrey called these same Christian activists "cuckoo clocks" when they joined with 500 citizens at a marriage rally in March of 2004.

Many pastors joined Heath in the State House.  One sent an email report afterwards.  He says he was visited by one of the activists.  This pastor has a sign out front of his church that reads, "Vote NO to immorality in government."  The homosexual activist told this pastor that he shouldn't promote that kind of "hate and discrimination."  He said the pastor, "shouldn't support Mike Heath at the state house because God shouldn't be promoted in the secular government."  The pastor then witnessed to this activist.  The pastor closed asking for prayer for protection of  the church sign.  It was destroyed one year ago, and he said the church does not have the resources to fund repairs again.

Two individuals spoke at the League's 11 a.m. press conference.  Rev. Dallas Henry presented the League board's statement ( Click Here ).  Paul Madore from the Maine Grassroots Coalition offered some brief remarks.  We include Madore's comments here:

“There’s a public hearing on Special Rights for Homosexuals being held tomorrow by the Maine State Judiciary Committee and “We are not going”!! said the leader of the pro-family PAC organization. “We’ve been to our last Public Hearing on this issue that we will ever attend. “This is about demanding Fairness to Maine voters, to those who turned out in record numbers both for the “Peoples Veto of 1998” Referendum and again in the “2000 referendum” issued by the Maine Legislature to defeat this ridiculous bill.” In the “People’s Veto of 98”, Maine Citizens gathered over 60,000 signatures by  giving up their summer vacations and time normally spent having fun with their family and friends. Their sacrifice was both unbelievable and unprecedented. Many of these people now believe that

this recent proposal for a Homosexual Rights Law is nothing more than the strong arm tactic of a Governor who is soliciting the financial and political support of the powerful and affluent homosexual community, a Governor who has become the Poster Boy for the Pro-Homosexual Lobby and has turned his back on Maine people. These same people have lost all respect for their Governor and state government because many of them believe that they are no longer being represented.   

This strong arm tactic used by the Governor ought to be a fine lesson to our young people anxious to become involved in the political process.  This act of tyranny by our Governor ought to teach young people that “might makes right” and that the political process can be undermined and trashed by someone who occupies the highest political office in the state. A Governor who is obsessed in opening the door for homosexuals to same sex marriage. There isn’t a state in this country that has not legalized same-sex marriage that was not in the need to pass a law that would include sexual orientation into their Human Rights Act.  Homosexual Rights laws are absolutely essential to guaranteeing homosexuals the right to marry, which is only one of the many human rights they will be entitled to.

During the walk from the League building a person driving by in his car shouted "discrimination, homophobe" and viciously displayed an obscene gesture with his hand in the direction of the Christians.

Report on Public Hearing