Outside Mr Hetero Photos : IMC Worcester

The crowd outside the “Mr. Hetero Contest” was equal in size to the reported number of 200 attendees inside Mechanics Hall Saturday night. Participants in the “Hate Has No Home Here” candlelight vigil, mostly older adults, stood quietly-by keeping conversations among themselves going, while a nearly equal number of participants and supporters of the “Queer Kiss-In” took turns chanting, cheering and making it known they weren’t happy and weren’t going away.

The lively attention getting energy of the queer contingent made for a near festive feel at times, magnifying the ludicrousness of the police contingent Mechanics Hall forced Pastor Crouse to hire. Ten police officers were evenly spaced in-front of Mechanics Hall, behind barricades that closed the street and nearly took up half the block. Other officers closed off Main and adjoining streets, with a patrol wagon parked nearby for good measure.

Equal in size to the police contingent was the media crew which worked the crowd for interviews and shots of kissing queers. I watched one eager TV camerman work for position to catch Worcester’s radical cheerleaders, only to emerge from the circle of onlookers mid-way muttering, “I can’t use that, they’re swearing.”

Very few of Worcester’s avowed “community leaders” participated in the demonstrations; neither the schools, local non-profits or religious community can claim to have made a strong showing against hate in Worcester. Police Chief Gemme, along with other WPD brass, headed up the police squad behind the main barricades. School Committee members Joe O’Brien and Kate Toomey vigiled throughout, and both were later joined by Mayor Murray at the community reflection hosted by United Congregational Church and the Hadwen Park Congregational Church.

There was a lot of finger pointing, and uncomfortableness between the candlelight vigil crowd and the queer kiss-in gang leading up to Saturday night. None of that seemed present in front of Mechanics Hall, other than the clear difference in age, style and tactics that kept each clique separate.

The hoped for conversations between older and younger activists never seemed to materialize. Very few of the younger crowd from downtown participated in the post-vigil/kiss-in gathering at UCC. This was probably due both to the expected religious character of the follow-up event, as well as the “we’re still in the 60’s” aura the evening had with the ‘obligatory’(?) choruses of “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine”.

The program for the evening consisted of song, reflection, prayers and affirmations. There were no pronouncements or mayoral proclamations made at UCC. Most of the evening was led by Pastors Judith Hanlon from Hadwen Park Congregational Church and Terry Fitzgerald from United Congregational Church. There was a lot of great food on hand.

We-re Fabulous

"We're Here.
We're Queer.
We're Fabulous, dont Fuck with us."

Police and barricades

There were at least 20 police officers at the scene, half of which formed this line behind the barricade.

barricades

more barricades

Candlelight Vigil

The candlelight vigil in front of Mechanics Hall organized by "Hate Has No Home Here".

Hate Has No Home Here

Hate Has No Home Here2

in front

Queer Kiss-In

Kissing

The T&G published several photos from both inside and outside Mechanics Hall. Was it by chance, or on purpose that they didn't use a photo from the Queer Kiss-In?

stop hate

Rainbow Scarves

Maybe Pastor Crouse wants to "take it back", but last night the crowd definetly painted Main Street with rainbows.

WWJD

Several local clergy members attended in opposition. Here Rev. Aaron Payson from the Holden St. UU Church twists the often used "What Would Jesus Do" theology around.

Afterwards at UCC

Many that attended the demonstrations in front of Mechanics Hall warmed up physically, emotionally and spiritually at the community gathering hosted by the United Congregational Church and Hadwen Park Congregational Church. Thanks to everyone for their work planning this event.