About 50 people gathered outside the gates of Metropolitan Church of God this morning to protest  Focus on the Family's Love Won Out “ex-gay” conference.  We stood in front of the Hoover Board of Education building (on the right of way) to express our support for the families who are victimized by organizations like Love Won Out, conned into believing their LGBT children can be “changed”.  We want to show them that there is another way — they can accept their children and love them as they are.

We'll be back at 11 AM and at 5 PM.  Join us if you can at 2800 Metropolitan Way (directions here).

Don't plan on parking in the taxpayer-built-and-maintained school board parking lot, however.  The Hoover police showed up this morning and threatened to tow any cars parked in the otherwise empty lot because the Board of Education had decided it didn't want to “take sides”.  There aren't any “No Parking” signs posted anywhere in the lot, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the church uses the lot for overflow parking on Sunday mornings.  I'm curious to know just who brought the school board into the discussion.  Perhaps a conference attendee called.  Any attorneys out there who can advise me about the legality of this?

We were a peaceful, happy group this morning, especially after the coffee and doughnuts arrived.  Pictures below — I'll post more later.

A colorful group of protesters

Yes, those are their real names

PFLAG

Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out

Joe Openshaw revealing the actual “cure” rate of ex-gay “ministries”