Last weekend, not everyone was celebrating at the PRIDE festival downtown. A group of protesters were at the event to provide a different perspective on PRIDE.
“We’re here because we love our neighbor,” said Caleb Ripple, pastoral assistant at Christ Fellowship Church. “Not everyone here believes that, but if we believe what the Bible says is true, then the most unloving thing we could do is lock ourselves in our churches and let these people die and spend eternity separated from God.”
The protesters held signs and read Bible verses during the festival. Ripple said the group had three goals at the event.
First to proclaim the “truth.”
“We love our neighbors, and we want to tell them the truth,” he said.
The second goal was to expose the “darkness and wickedness.” Ripple said they were opposed to the grooming of children by encouraging them to cross dress or alter their physical appearance.
“When adults tell prepubescent children that the only way, they can be happy and fulfilled if they suffer from gender dysphoria, is to mutilate their bodies or to cross dress,” Ripple said, “we believe that is exploitive. That is damaging to a child’s mental, emotion and physical health.”
At last year’s event, Kween Kee Kee, a 12-year-old drag queen, performed at the Taylor PRIDE event while adults threw money at him. Ripple said the idea of a child drag queen is despicable.
The third goal, Ripple said, was to bear witness to other Christians.
“To not fear man, but fear God,” he said. “To believe the truth in what the Bible says and don’t be embarrassed and don’t be ashamed of it.”
He said there were many people who claimed to be Christians at the event but were not doing the work of a Christian.
“They don’t know the God they claim to worship,” he said. “We’re here to rattle the church and try to wake the church up.”
Ripple and the protesters stayed at the event until its end around 11 p.m. During that time, he said there were different reactions to the protesters.
“A couple people are really upset, but some folks here, they understand,” he said.
While he did have positive conversations with supporters of the PRIDE event, he said many of them understand the reason why they are present.
“It’s love that is compelling us to be here,” he said. “We’re not here because we hate these people. I’m not here because I hate anybody.”
D.J. Ryan said it was not the protesters themselves, but God’s spirit that drove them to attend the festival and spread their message.
“Even though we do not agree with what is happening here, and because this goes against what God has said in his word,” said Ryan, “we have no reason to be here in this hot heat except for the reason that we love all that are here and that they would hear God’s truth.”
Ripple and the group of protesters were invited to attend the event, and they accepted.
“The most loving thing we can do is come out here and tell the folks the truth,” Ripple said. “The only way to God the father is through Jesus Christ.”
