http://cynthianafairness.weebly.com/1/post/2014/03/1-woman-takes-action-calls-out-atlah-worldwide-missionary-church-im-here-for-my-stoning.html
With a few effortless clicks, we all now have the power to be an activist. A decent internet connection and a social media platform or two enable us to start dialogues, promote causes we believe in and have our voices heard when battling injustice. But our keyboard activism should serve to compliment -- not replace -- our physical presence on the front-lines in the fight against inequality, injustice and hate. We need to stand up -- literally -- for what we believe in. Jennifer Louise Lopez didn't limit her activism to her laptop when she came across a sign outside a Harlem church that read: "Jesus would stone homos. Harlem is a homo free zone." Jennifer walked up to the church, knocked on their front door and said: "I saw your sign, and I'm here for my stoning. I'm a lesbian." Jennifer's courageous activism went viral. News outlets across the country covered her stoning request, igniting conversations about freedom of speech and hate speech. Over 11,000 supporters shared the article online and The Young Turks video piece reached 124,583 views on YouTube. The fight against the disrespect and hatred of pastor James David Manning had started. A protest was scheduled for Saturday, March 29, at 11:30 a.m. in front of the ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church on 123 St. and Lenox in Harlem. Leaders of various LGBT groups gave speeches, we all sang, we hugged, we held up a huge rainbow flag, we took photos and we proudly protested against hate. It was beautiful to fight for respect together, even as the rain poured and a man in a suit and bow-tie passed out anti-gay pamphlets. Photos can be seen here Jennifer Louise Lopez, a Harlem resident and transgender activist, organized the protest after having called Manning’s bluff recently by showing up at the church and telling a mystified employee she was there for her stoning. She told the crowd that Manning “is a very hateful and dangerous man,” according to a press release. She added, “We will no longer stand by while evangelical Christian churches misrepresent us." Lopez, a member of the United Methodist Church, also called for a worldwide day of solidarity on Easter Sunday against churches that preach hate. Others speaking at the protest included Jim Eigo, a veteran ACT UP member who said Manning’s dogma “keeps people in the closet about their sex lives” and discourages testing for HIV. “AIDS is still killing so many in this neighborhood,” said Eigo, who works with the AIDS Prevention Task Force at Harlem United. “We know that words of hate and retribution like Pastor Manning’s words just aid and abet this disease.” Another demonstrator, who goes by the single name Lovari, read a passage from the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew that he said showed support for androgynous and LGBT people. “For there are eunuchs who are born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who are made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven,” the passage states. “He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.” Manning did not emerge, but one point the group moved to the side entrance of the church, where they repeatedly rang the building's buzzer and raised their fists while they shouted, “We’re here for our stoning! We’re here for our stoning!” Several church members watched from inside through a glass door, smiling and chatting, according to the press release.
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