Worcester police charge pastor $6,200.00 -- up front -- to hold Christian event as pro-gay activists scream, protest and chant outside.

WORCESTER, MA (SATURDAY EVENING, FEB. 18, 2006) Approximately 100 pro-homosexual activists illegally stood in the streets outside of historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester attempting to intimidate and frighten the 250 attendees of a Christian event inside which dealt with heterosexuality versus homosexuality, and how the Gospels can save people from that affliction. According to a local website with official statements from the city's "Human Rights Commission," the Mayor of Worcester, a City Councilor, and a School Committee member participated in the demonstrations.

The demonstrations and protests outside the building culminated weeks of intense pressure from various homosexual groups and local left-wing churches attempting to force the event to be cancelled. This included several death threats sent to Pastor Tom Crouse, the organizer of the event, and various threatening communications with people providing the venues. A local hotel was forced to refuse them, and the manager of Mechanics Hall reportedly received threatening phone calls at home.

However, the police demanded that Pastor Crouse pay them $6200.00 up front, to "protect" them from the expected demonstrators, or else the event would not be allowed to take place. The money paid for a detail of police, rented equipment to search the attendees, and training for the security staff to use the equipment.

The Worcester police blatantly allowed the protesters to illegally congregate in the street outside the hall. And in fact, the police blocked traffic to make it easier for them to do it! When we telephoned the Worcester Police Department afterwards, police officials admitted to us that no one had been issued a permit to demonstrate, or to stand in the street, etc. In addition, even though the protesters had identified themselves many days beforehand and announced their intention to be outside the event, none of them were charged any money at all, according to police spokesmen we talked with.

On the other hand, attendees inside were forced to endure airport-style security searches and other things which no other event at that hall ever requires. One officer (who was later identified to as the Chief of Police) told one of our camera people that he may not stand on the sidewalk in front of the building and take pictures -- and if he did, he would be arrested!

Public officials and other anti-Christians. Statement on quasi-official website, www.iworcester.com (along with a list of 215 signers of a "Hate Has No Home Here" petition, which the Mayor also signed):

"Thank You. To everyone who bundled up to the cold and came to stand and witness with us - we thank you! . . . We publicly thank Mayor Tim Murray, City Councilor Kate Toomey, and School Committee Member Joe O'Brien who stood with us. And a final two thanks to United Congregational Church for the great music, great food and a nice warm room after the vigil and Pastor Judy Hanlon of Hadwen Park Church for her gift of music."

Here's the Mayor's public statement, also on that website (an inversion of the truth!):

Statement of Worcester Mayor Tim Murray Regarding the Mr. Hetero Contest

What makes Worcester a great city is the diversity of its people and the respect we share for each other. The Worcester I know values all people and abhors discrimination in any form. We must respect everyone's right to free speech even those people with whom we don't agree. However, we must also vigorously exercise our own right to speak out and speak up and say we don't condone or support events which unfairly and unjustly target a group of people because of their sexual orientation.

A Pastor's decision to make a Christian statement.

Several months back, Pastor Crouse decided he'd had enough. Like everyone else, he'd endured years of depraved public "gay pride" parades, gay exhibits, gay banquets, and gay programs in the schools. Then he read about a "Mr. Gay International" event being held out in San Diego, and he decided it was time for a little equality and tolerance. 

If they can hold a public "Mr. Gay" event, why not a "Mr. Heterosexual" event?  So Pastor Crouse started putting things together, making arrangements, etc, for his "Mr. Hetero" contest.  Sure, it's a little corny, but underneath there's a solid message -- that reminds one of George Orwell's observation that "there are times when the obvious must constantly be re-stated."

Actually, it turned out to be a lot of good, clean fun, along with a dose of the Gospels. The theme of the event was "A celebration of God's design of heterosexuality."  In addition to contestants, he also invited a former homosexual to speak during the event on how Jesus Christ freed him from that spiritual and physical path to self-destruction.

The appearance of an ex-gay represents a particular point of rage to the homosexual community. During this conference, Jonathan Owens, a 22-year-old ex-gay talked about how he had gotten addicted to pornography in middle school. Then in high school, the gay pornography overtook him. Then he had homosexual affairs with two males. Finally, at a retreat that he attended, the whole message of Christ came to him. He said that he decided to temporarily "starve himself" from worldly things, and with great spiritual effort, he got it out of his system.

This isn't the America you used to know. As soon as the word got out, the gay brownshirts started threatening Rev. Crouse personally, from not only Massachusetts, but also from other states. They intimidated the original hotel that had agreed to rent them the space for the event -- the Sturbridge Host -- enough to cancel on them two days later.

At the end of the evening, Rev. Crouse went out of his way to thank the management of Mechanics Hall for their bravery, in agreeing to allow the event take place there.

WHAT YOU CAN DO.

1. Support Pastor Crouse. You can email him at IM4Jesus4@juno.com 

2. Donate, if you can. Donations can be sent to Pastor Tom Crouse, PO Box 708, Fiskdale, MA  01508.

3. Contact the Worcester Police (here's their website) and inform them that this is still America, and their decision to force Pastor Crouse to pay in order to exercise his freedom of speech and religion, while allowing the perpetrators to illegally intimidate his event, is outrageous and offensive.