By Chad Groening
May 26, 2005

(AgapePress) - A pro-family activist says he's glad a planned homosexual pride event, "Jerusalem WorldPride 2005," which was scheduled to take place this summer in the Holy Land's most revered city, has been put off, at least until next year.

Organizers say the host city has postponed WorldPride 2005 because the event as previously scheduled would have coincided with Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza and West Bank settlements. In consideration of "a most difficult political climate expected at that time," the Jerusalem Open House Board decided to reschedule the WorldPride celebration for August 6-12, 2006.

Gary Bauer

However, Gary Bauer of the conservative group American Values feels it would be an absolute tragedy if thousands of homosexuals are allowed to flaunt their lifestyle in the streets of Jerusalem this summer or any other time. Several religious groups were offended by the prospect of WorldPride being held in the Israel's "Holy City," a place held sacred by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.

Bauer is among those who hope the event will never come off. "It would be a disaster if the mayor and governing city council of Jerusalem allow this to go forward," he says. "It will also, in my view, harm the growing alliance between Christians and Jews."

The pro-family activist believes the homosexual organizers of the WorldPride celebration wanted to hold the event in Jerusalem for a very carefully calculated reason. "They did the same thing outside of the Vatican a couple of years ago," he notes, referring to the Rome WorldPride 2000 festival. "They are intentionally picking areas that are of deep religious significance to millions of believers," he explains, "in an effort to provoke and to insult and to show that they are going to be in our face with their agenda."

Bauer is convinced that a united front of religious opposition helped convince the city of Jerusalem to put off the event. "There was a joint press conference in Jerusalem of religious leaders of every major religion in the region," he points out. These were "religions that disagree on fundamental questions about many, many different issues," he adds, "and yet, on this they were united -- that it would be an affront to the history and people of Jerusalem to let that festival go forward."

So the party that would have permitted thousands of homosexuals from around the world to descend on Jerusalem this summer for ten days of street parties, concerts, processions, and a "gay film festival" has been, for the time being, stopped. Now, Bauer says, he only hopes the postponement of Jerusalem WorldPride will become a permanent cancellation.

Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.

© 2005 AgapePress all rights reserved.

 

E-mail this page to a friend Printer-Friendly Version