Today, July 27th, we campaigned in Providence, Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the nation’s smallest state and one of the most Catholic.
We did the first campaign in Providence’s financial district. Despite being Rhode Island’s biggest city, the traffic wasn’t much. Most of the campaigns of the Maine/Rhode Island caravan have been mostly traffic campaigns. We make ourselves visible to motorists by engaging them to support traditional marriage. We don’t get into too many long discussions. This time, however, was different.
Born that way?
Within minutes of starting the campaign, some women approached us holding hands and claimed that they were born gay. Asked for more of an explanation, one of them readily told us that she didn’t know she was gay until after she learned in school that it was okay to be homosexual. So much for being born homosexual if you only find out in school.
A black man with a Mohawk approached us with his girlfriend. He took the flyer and read the banner and courteously thanked us for being here. Right after him, a black teenager took a flyer and also thanked us. Minorities don’t seem to see same sex ” marriage” as a civil rights issue.
Across the street, a class of some twenty young boys and girls approached our intersection. They stopped to wait for their walk signal. The teacher leading them waved to us and gave us a double fisted thumbs up…three times, and, turned around to call her students’ attention to our signs. A few students waved to us.
A woman, with her children in the rear seat, saw us and exploded with a big smile. She gave us the trifecta support: honk, thumbs up, and applause.
So Much Love… or Not
At the end, two homosexuals engaged us in a more heated debate. We make a point in making our campaigns peaceful and legal. Our statements are not personal attacks but for some reason homosexuals take them as such. These two homosexuals introduced themselves to us saying; “We’re married. He is my husband. And, this [the dog in his arms] is our child. We adopted him.” The discussion took its ebbs and turns with people joining their side and ours.
On a side note, we had stationed the campaign right next to the city’s main bus station. A majority of the bus drivers were very supportive. During the whole debate with the homosexuals, a bus driver happened to honk right next to us. One of the homosexuals burst into a rage, walked to the middle of the street and glared at the bus driver. How tolerant!
We closed the campaign with a prayer and shouted the TFP’s slogan: “Tradition Family Property!” three times. Up to this point, they kept a civil tone. Our prayers seemed to have unnerved them as they now dogged us with insults, blasphemed Our Lady and consigned us to a place of eternal fire. So much love!
And… the Intersection
Fortunately, that was only the first campaign of the day. We proceeded to another part of the city where we again stationed ourselves in a very busy intersection. Asides from the counter protestors, two drinks thrown at us and the verbal abuse, there were plenty of honks of support, thumbs up, smiles and friendly waves, there’s not much to report.
A priest agreed to pray for our campaign. Please continue to do so as well. Until next time…
St. Joseph, Pillar of the Family, pray for us!
St. Gabriel, pray for us.