Reflections on talking with protestors

Earlier today I wrote a post in preparation for going to a festival which would have protestors. You can read it here.

Let me start with a recounting of the first part of my time at the event. And then follow that up with a few reflection points.

The festival was the Harrisburg Pride Festival. And there were protestors — although just a small, but vocal, handful. I was asked to be there to engage in conversation with the protestors in order to draw attention away from them yelling into bull horns with words of condemnation at the crowd gathered. The protestors were a religious group/church. In usual fashion, they had signs with scripture quotes and signs essentially saying repent or else you will burn. And the message in the bullhorns were quoting scripture and having a message that was similar to the signs.

The particular pastor who was leading the effort in protest is known for protesting and his tactics are often designed to provoke a response, often with the intent of confrontation that could be reported to the police, arrests, and lawsuits as a result.

When I arrived, I found my contact and was escorted to the location where the pastor was doing his thing in the bull horn. Initially I just watched and listened. I needed to have a sense of what he was talking about. People were coming near and getting their pictures taken in front of him, which was amazingly ironic. One couple specifically walked up in front of him and kissed in front of him. All the while this…