In case their name didn’t tip you off, PWR BTTM is a proudly queer punk act (and one that excels in empowering, defiant rock that’s quite good.)
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As we settle in to our now-daily bombardment of antigay protests and hate crimes across the US, it comes as no real surprise that the band’s show at Big Sleepy’s bar in Jackson, Mississippi was intercepted Thursday by men wielding picket signs with Biblical references and homophobic sloganeering:
this is happening at the show tn. I am completely unafraid; I am sad for them. pic.twitter.com/dQhjsxxmP8
— pwr bttm (@PWRBTTMBAND) November 17, 2016
When the hate group outside our show stood by the window, as blocked them out. Thank you, MS https://t.co/HNkc8nruxP
— pwr bttm (@PWRBTTMBAND) November 17, 2016
The band relayed their experience in a statement to SPIN:
How about we take this to the next level?
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We played at Big Sleepys in Jackson, Mississippi, which is an all ages DIY space. As I was eating dinner in the van, I saw four men with giant signs walking up to our show. They posted up outside and proceeded to yell homophobic stuff at the crowd the entire night. We moved the entrance to the show to the back of the venue and blocked off the windows at the front. It was a freaky ass night, but the local police helped us keep things safe.
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Via Twitter, band member Ben Hopkins further explained:
They were like baiting us to hit them, they wanted to be able to sue us. Like they’re not Christians, they’re crooks. I grew up with so many amazing kind Christian folks, and it’s important not to even give these men the dignity of that title. They’re fucking con artists in tacky outfits.
We haven’t ever received threats, but I have a feeling this isn’t the last time this will happen. It won’t deter us, nothing will.”
jhon_siders
They have the same type of signs that what’s there name Phelps I think had ?? wonder if they are with there hate group ??
Xzamilloh
If those are Christian extremists, I’d say the Jesus folks have come a long way. Oh, and NOT ALL Christians behave this way… I felt that needed to be brought up because for some reason, it wasn’t, and I thought that was status quo, since that non-statement is brought up in other instances.
Hussain-TheCanadian
I’m just curious why is it always men picketing outside our functions? I never see any notable female presence; Brain I need your psychological insight for this!!
11jks13
…but the local police helped us keep things safe. Yeah for now, wait till the Trump God Club gets their way and off to the ovens we go.
11jks13
@abnerbha: Why are you on this site if that is what you think/feel. I have a lot of straight friends and NONE….NONE look at these gay news websites.
Paco
@Xzamilloh: It sure would be nice to see the Christ-like Christians picketing their own bad actors that are giving their religion a bad name. Their numbers are probably too low to deal with the majority that are hypocrites.
Xzamilloh
@Paco: Yeah, their numbers are too low… like the Westboro Baptist Church, who are the clearest example of what happens when you take the bible literally. They are as close to Christian as you can get, as far as I’m concerned. This watered-down version of Christianity is so much better, but it’s almost completely stripped of any scriptural basis. AS an atheist, I prefer my religious people just thinking they’re good religious people and ignoring the messed up, contradictory, and downright inaccurate parts of their doctrine.
Xzamilloh
@abnerbha: Hey, girl… where you been? Taking a break from being batshit? Well welcome back.
2265
I dont understand why these groups focus on gays. Why arent they at divorce lawyers offices or county clerk offices protesting divorce and remarriage?
abnerbha
@11jks13: I’m a nonreligious person who sees something wrong with homosexual & lesbian conduct & I think that they must make it a crime to do sex changes.I don’t care about gay/lesbian marriage & though information war has been lost, truth must still be said. I have thought about this & don’t think any1 can rebut conclusion that childhood sex abuse victims of gay/lesbian pedophiles have more risk of turning out gay/lesbian by copying the conduct they learned because think you know that conduct incl. sexual conduct can be learned. Think you know it is possible for people who are victims of same sex molestation (such as victims of gay pedophile priests) to copy this sexual conduct and do gay conduct in adulthood incl. turn out to be gay pedophiles.
With gay/lesbian conduct by adults, while I don’t believe in making it a crime by consenting adults, I do believe it’s best to find a cure for homosexual/lesbian conduct just as it’s best to find cure for tobacco use-also a legal product. If homosexual/lesbian conduct and tobacco use were to disappear eventually, then it’s fine with me and I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. I believe in abolishing sex change mutilations.
abnerbha
I want to go into women’s bathrooms if there are pretty women in there & if a pretty woman wants to use men’s bathrooms, then that is fine with me. I want a pretty woman to go into men’s bathrooms but I wouldn’t want uglies like Ellen Lee DeGeneres and Rosie T. O’Donnell shitting in any bathroom as they’re ugly so Ellen & Rosie can shit in diapers. Ellen Lee DeGeneres & Rosie T. O’Donnell both probably like to have farting & shitting contests in bathrooms, so Ellen & Rose both want to do battleshits contest in men’s bathrooms since women’s toilets got dirtied by them.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@Xzamilloh: No, not all Christians are extremists. After all, that sentiment IS drilled into our heads about Muslims.
alanballs
Christian extremists. Religious terrorists. Whack jobs. Radicalized bigots. That’s what they are. They are not Christians.
Billysees
@Paco:
” It sure would be nice to see the Christ-like Christians picketing their own bad actors that are giving their religion a bad name. Their numbers are probably too low to deal with the majority that are hypocrites. ”
Great comment.
But mature or Christ-like Christians don’t want anything to do with that kind of picketing and the people who do it. Here’s why —
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men……..Matthew 5:13
Loveless antagonism and tasteless salt are the same things. They are thrown out, trampled on or simply rejected by mature minded folks.
…you must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other…..Jesus……Mark 9:50
GayEGO
@Xzamilloh: That is what I call them, Christian Extremists. The U.S. Presbyterian Church is a Christian Church that performs same-gender marriages.
GayEGO
@abnerbha: why are you so interested in women’s excrement? You sound like you are a scatologist! :>)
gaym50ish
Let them picket. The only effect it will have is to draw attention to the group and make them more popular. The picketing has already created national news stories like this one, alerting us to the existence of a band we had never heard of before. The Christians are doing them a service.
When the Baptists picketed a new adult bookstore in my community, it generated local news stories and boosted the store’s business. Most people wouldn’t have even known it was there if it weren’t for the picketing.
charlieeod74
@abnerbha: I’m a nonreligious homosexual person who doesn’t think there is anything wrong with gay or lesbian relationships. I do have a problem with straight assholes like yourself and really believe that people like you should do the world a favor and drop dead. Just my opinion.
abnerbha
@charlieeod74: I called Judy L. Shepard on May 6, 2015 @ her home. Dennis picked up (I spoke to him on November 3, 2014 to tell him his son was a child molester & drug dealer) & I asked for Judy after which he gave to Judy. I then told Judy Lynn Shepard that Methew Shepard was a child molester & drug junky after which she told me to get a life and hung up. I told the ugly truth of what her son was-a child molester & a drug junky. Homosexual groups have been trying to keep Stephen Jimenez’s Book of Matt from being sold. Honest discussion is discussing & rebutting-not censoring because 1 finds something offensive.
Something else to rebut people who critique me for calling Dennis & Judy L. Shepard on Nov. 3, 2014 & May 6, 2015 to tell ugly truths on who their son was. Methew Wayne Shepard was a bad person & getting murdered doesn’t change that-his parents get rich from money Judy & Dennis make from their speeches & from celebrities such as Ellen, Rosie, etc. who have given them millions to make them rich. The Shepards make tours all over the U.S. & worldwide such as United Kingdom, Mexico, Russia, etc. So it’s dishonest to say that they aren’t rich, because poor people wouldn’t be able to make so many world trips. You think I’m a jerk though I did nothing illegal.
Calling them twice to tell the truth is not harassment. Harassment is repeatedly contacting a person after they have asked you to stop contacting them. Since this happened twice, it was not harassment, so it’s legal. Shepards are famous. If the Shepard’s don’t want people calling them to tell ugly truths of Methew W. Shepard being a drug junky and a child molester, then they should get an unlisted # because that is what comes with being famous. I did the right thing because they are the 1s who get rich off of his murder, not me. I just call to tell them the truth & I earn nothing.
Dennis & Judy L. Shepard have no complaint right when people like me call them to say that their son was a child molester & drug junky. Dennis & Judy get rich & most media shills for them. Celebrities Ellen, Rosie T. O’Donnell (Roseann Teresa O’Donnel), etc. give money to them & make them rich. If once in a while people like me call their house to tell them ugly truths about their son, then don’t complain. They can get an unlisted # if they don’t want people calling them @ home to tell them Methew W. Shepard’s a drug junky & a child molester. & it is possible Methew W. Shepard molested more boys than the 2 cases he got counseling for because most molestations are unreported.
abnerbha
@charlieeod74: I have thought about this & don’t think any1 can rebut conclusion that childhood sex abuse victims of gay/lesbian pedophiles have more risk of turning out gay/lesbian by copying the conduct they learned because think you know that conduct incl. sexual conduct can be learned. Think you know it is possible for people who are victims of same sex molestation (such as victims of gay pedophile priests) to copy this sexual conduct and do gay conduct in adulthood incl. turn out to be gay pedophiles.
With gay/lesbian conduct by adults, while I don’t believe in making it a crime by consenting adults, I do believe it’s best to find a cure for homosexual/lesbian conduct just as it’s best to find cure for tobacco use-also a legal product. If homosexual/lesbian conduct and tobacco use were to disappear eventually, then it’s fine with me and I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. I believe in abolishing sex change mutilations.
Cajaquarius
If God is so weak that he needs humans to fight his battles for him, why call him God?