Harvey Milk HS I: to cheer the baby queers

the crowd on Astor Place, entertained by Phelps christianists

For more images, go here.

Barry and I joined hundreds of others outside Harvey Milk High School this morning to cheer students entering the building for the first day of classes.

Across the street was the Fred Phelps family circus of Christianist nuts. The police seem to have understood the difference, and this time their sympathies worked for the good guys. Supporters were assigned the sidewalk in front of the school on Astor Place. The anti's had to be content with, appropriately, the gutter on the north side, and their screaming was continuously assaulted by the roar of a huge garbage/trash truck adjacent. Who had arranged that intervention?

Their posters alone alienated the cops, as did the sight of several of them standing on or dragging the flag through the dirt, but it was when they pulled out the "THANK GOD FOR SEPT 11" sign, that the police barricade we were standing behind was immediately moved well into the street to give our crowd more comfort, and additional public visibility in the process.

The kids themselves are alright, and we'll be back this afternoon before 3, to see them safely out.

Bloggy has more, including images. Don't miss "GOD'S ROD".

ps

A confession is in order at this time. If you go to my link for more images, the last picture will show what I would say is one pretty hot young bible thumper. Our friend Jon yelled across the street, asking him if he lived in New York. Surprisingly there was an answer, and it was "yes." Jon followed, "You should get out more. It's fun."

You never know. There are all kinds of callings and conversions.

And this afternoon, in a Reuters photo on the MNSBC site:

B's striped blue polo obscures J's white shirt - our loopy "YOU'RE OUR ROLE MODELS" sign rises above all. Let's hope the student queers will be better at signs, but let's hope they won't need this kind.