None of them would give their names but one man said his group was on-site in case “Antifa or BLM” supporters showed up to cause trouble on a breezy morning - while even those engaged in curbside debates never raised their voices. While churchgoers and protestors intermingled on the corner of Hillsdale Avenue and Calvary Way, a small group of men gathered across the street, saying they were on guard to keep the peace. “Our church is filled with people all over the world from every kind of background and we have this one thing in common-we have experienced the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Mickas, 24, said he wouldn’t defend Perkins on those issues but “I think everyone deserves a fair hearing of what they say.”Ĭalvary Pastor Mike McClure described Perkins as a minister who “loves people - all people,” in an email to the Bay Area News Group. “We’re saying (Perkins) is using language and rhetoric that actively harms people.” “It is your actions, policy and the people you associate with,” he told Mickas. Stollar, a Bay Area writer, explained that white supremacy doesn’t always take forms like an overt “I hate you.” Stollar recited the Southern Poverty Law Center’s report that Perkins once purchased Klansman David Duke’s mailing list for use in a Louisiana political campaign he was managing. The rally was held to protest Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins who spoke at the church on Sunday.
Rob McMillan takes part in a rally outside of Calvary Chapel San Jose on Sunday. “Can you point out how the Calvary Church thinks white people are superior to another race?” “We don’t teach white people are superior to another race, which is the definition of white supremacy,” he said. Church member Wyatt Mickas of San Jose asked protest organizer Ryan Stollar why the demonstrators were calling Calvary Chapel a white supremacist church. Some of the congregants rejected protestors’ contentions that Perkins is anti-gay and a supporter of white supremacy. “For me, it is for so-called Christians to be more Christ-like.”Ĭhurch representatives passed out water bottles, doughnuts and a booklet from fundamentalist Christian cartoonist Jack Thomas Chick titled, “Your Big Moment.” They invited demonstrators inside to hear Perkins speak. “I identify strongly with who Christ was in the world,” said Fox, who recently created Calvary Chapel Watch on Instagram. She said she grew up in Calvary Chapel Sonora, where her family continues to worship. Rally organizer Carly Fox, a Castejilla High School history teacher, said her group was not protesting against Christianity. The Center quotes from numerous FRC officials, including Perkins, who has claimed that gay men are pedophiles and that measures to assure LGBT freedom and end bullying are covert tactics to recruit children. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists a number of examples of Perkins’ statements to support its designation as hate speech. The rally was held to protest Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins who was speaking on Sunday inside of Calvary Chapel San Jose. SAN JOSE, CA – JUNE 6: Members of the LGBTQ community rally outside of Calvary Chapel San Jose on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in San Jose, Calif. They surfaced when some worshippers approached demonstrators after Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council in Washington D.C., spoke at the first of two appearances. The event Sunday led to impromptu debates over personal freedom that underscored the intersection of a divided society. The church is no stranger to recent controversy its refusal to abide by public-health orders against large indoor gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic led to some $1 million in fines. The rally was held on the first weekend of Pride month when LGBTQ groups organize community events in the Bay Area and around the country. SAN JOSE - A group of 25 people spent Sunday morning waving signs and flags on the side of Calvary Chapel San Jose to protest the appearance of a national speaker who leads what the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as an anti-LGBTQ hate group.