Counter-protesters disrupt Queer LiberAction protest in Fort Worth
A recent event by the Metroplex-based Queer LiberAction, which is known for their aggressive blend of street theater and political protest, was cut short by an extreme implementation of their own tactics.
The group planned to gather on the corner of Houston and 3rd Streets in Fort Worth at 5 p.m. on Nov. 1. They had planned to set up a milk crate and invite anyone to take turns standing on it to discuss any topic they wanted. Queer LiberAction has been sponsoring these "Milk Box" events, named for slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, for several months now in Dallas. While they have certainly gained some notoriety, the group has--until now--never been the subject of an organized counter-protest.
That all changed on Nov. 1 when the small contingent of Queer LiberAction members arrived at the site of their planned Milk box event. And approximately 20 counter-protesters from the Kingdom Baptist Church of Mansfield met them there.
Queer LiberAction spokesperson Corbin Bates said he believes Queer LiberAction’s Web site and Facebook page tipped the church members off to the event.
"By the time we showed up, they were already there and had taken the corner we had put out in our website," Bates recalled. "We decided to go down to Houston and 4 Street,"
Bates said at that point the protesters followed the group.
"They started coming towards us, equating us with pedophiles and people who practice bestiality," he said. "They were getting really aggressive, less than three feet from where we were."
Bates added this physical proximity and what he described as relentless verbal slander caused the group to "end up leaving, because there wasn’t one police officer there." He added he feels the police "knew we were going to be there, and they know we haven’t been accepted in the past; so they should have been there to protect and serve and make sure nothing was going to happen."
Joe Remsik, leader of Queer LiberAction’s Fort Worth chapter, requested a police presence through communicating the group’s concerns to Sara Straten--the Fort Worth Police Department’s LGBT liaison.
"I thought I had built a pretty good relationship with Sara," Remsik said. "She has said, ’Please let me know when you are doing anything so I can make sure there’s a police presence there.’ She knew well in advance through phone calls and text messages. She said, ’Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.’"
Remsik, who says he contacted Straten a week prior to the Nov. 1 event, added he texted and called her when the event became intense to the point where Queer LiberAction members where concerned for their physical safety.
"The next day," recalls Remsik, "I received a phone call from her saying she was off that weekend and she let the higher-ups know about the event. When we talked the next day, I said, ’I am really disappointed. You told me to go to you directly.’ She said, ’If you felt you were outnumbered, you should have called 911.’"
Another Milk box event is scheduled to take place on Nov. 29 at the same location as the Nov. 1 event. If the Kingdom Baptist Church makes another appearance, Bates stressed Queer LiberAction will come with its own street theater game plan.
"We’ll be working on some specific messages for them; God wouldn’t hate, or stuff like that," he said.
Remsik, who has yet to receive a return phone call for requested police presence at the Nov. 29 event, added he will try to contact Straten again early next week. Straten referred EDGE to Lt. Paul Henderson, the FWPD’s chief-of-staff, but he did not respond to repeated e-mails and phone calls.
Remsik added he plans to continue to work with the FWPD to ensure his members are able to protest safely.
"I’m going to let Sara Straten know that I will look for a police presence at our next event, and I will continue to advocate that the police be involved in our movement and free speech," he vowed. "They need to keep us safe just like they need to keep the church people safe. In Dallas, they keep us physically separated."
