Messages From Gender Infinity And Montrose Center Concerning The Phelps Phamily Protests

The Phelps Phamily is allegedly coming to Houston to spread their special brand of hate on Friday.   There's a 50% chance they won't show up since they frequently flake out like that, but if they do, they plan on targeting the Montrose Center and the Gender Infinity Conference with pickets.

The targets of their alleged pickets in the Montrose Center and the Gender Infinity Conference have a message for you Houstonians and peeps in the metro area outraged that these faux faith based fools are desecrating our city limits.

First, the message from Gender Infinity:

Gender Infinity is aware of a possible protest planned during our conference at the University of Houston on Friday, September 16th. Please respect our main focus to provide all conference attendees a wonderful experience. We have been working with community partners to make arrangements to ensure this goal.

UH has a free speech zone where only a small number of people are allowed to gather at a time. If counter-protesters exceed that number, you will all be asked to leave and the protesters will remain. This is not what we want.

With that in mind, we ask the following:

1. Do not show up at UH to counter-protest unless you have coordinated with our point of contact, Rev. Troy Treash, a dedicated supporter at revtroy@resurrectionmcc.org. He will coordinate this effort.

2. Our community partners who have experience with these particular protesters advise that the best way to respond is not to engage them verbally or physically. Do not give this group the media or social media attention they crave (e.g., do not share their website on social media).

3. Instead, please come together as a community in other ways at this time to support each other and display a united, organized, peaceful, and collected front.

4. Alternative ways to support Gender Infinity at this time include liking our facebook page, following us on Twitter, or making a financial donation to our organization or any other local LGBTQI+ organization.http://support.genderinfinity.org/

We hope the response of our community, in solidarity, will show the world our commitment to advance justice and inclusion with and for transgender, gender diverse, and gender expansive persons.

Thank you,
The Gender Infinity Team

Next, the message from the Montrose Center"

We are asking that people not come to the Center on the 16th between 10:30 am and noon unless you have business here. We do not want to give them any media attention or assist them in their mission to disrupt our services and guests.

We have consulted with other Centers who have been protested and have been advised the best way to frustrate them is to not engage them. We have it covered and ask that there be no counter protest. We have made arrangements to protect our clients, staff and visitors and their privacy. Thanks everyone for respecting our plan.

We'll see if the Phelps Phamily actually backs up their words, drives down from Kansas and shows up at either event this Friday,

H-Town peeps, I know you're pissed.  I definitely am seeing that I will be at Gender Infinity supporting our trans kids and their families.   But the best way to support both these orgs is respect their wishes.  

It also doesn't hurt if you express your pissivity at the Phelpses by dropping both of the targeted organizations some donations.

Here's the link for the Montrose Center and the Gender Infinity Conference to do precisely that.