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The power to protest, or counter-protest, has always been at odds with those who feel this type of action is counterproductive to a more cerebral approach to voicing opinion, opposition or support of an issue.  This issue has shown itself this week in a facebook note from Equality PA, a Pennsylvania queer rights advocacy and lobby organization.

The note, titled "Why EQPA (Equality PA) is NOT supporting counter protests against NOM (National Organization for Marriage)," is a well written plea about why we should not counter-protest NOM's national "One Man, One Women" anti-same-sex marriage tour when it comes to Pennsylvania.

An except of the note reads:

"The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) kicked off their 'One Man, One Woman' tour on July 14th. At each stop where there have been counter protests or attendance by pro-equality supporters, they have disrespected or mocked them and attempted to provoke them into screaming or yelling. Their goal in doing this is to make our side look foolish and hostile. We have also seen that they like to play a numbers game where if we have even a few less attendees than at their event, they will claim that the momentum is moving in their direction. We know from the recent polling numbers and the pathetic turnout their rallies have been recording, that this simply isn't the case."

"We are working hard to advance equality and will continue to do so long after they leave town. While we may be upset by their rhetoric, we can't get caught up in retaliation when we need to remain focused on what needs to get done to win! Putting our energy into showing up at their event does not help to move us forward. What will help to advance equality in Pennsylvania is if we use them coming to town as an excuse to mobilize local activists and build our network."

I'm at odds with this.  The protestor in me says give them hell.  If they show up with 40 people, we should show up with 400.

I do not believe it is the goal of NOM to make our side look "foolish and hostile," I believe their goal was to try and rally their base, an effort that clearly is falling short of their goal with the minimal turn out their side is showing at these rallies.  Often the counter-protestors are out numbering NOM by 4 to 1 and more.

Is their message provocative? Yes, and it heightens emotions causing some counter-protestors to react in negative ways by screaming and yelling.  But this is part of the yin and yang of any civil rights movement.

I'm of the belief that if they want to protest against us, we should not make it easy for them; there should be no free rides.  If we don't counter-protest, we give the message that no one cares about this issue.  By counter protesting in numbers, we send a clear massage to the masses that we will not sit idle and do nothing.  We will voice our opposition and that opposition is strong.

I respect the work of Equality PA and understand their position, but I disagree that counter-protesting NOM is counter-productive to advancing equality for our community.  Counter-protesting empowers and motivates a people who would not normally get involved--this is a good thing.

The question is how do we take that motivation and move it forward.  I would suggest rather then turning their backs on the counter-protestors Equality PA show up at NOM events and make contact with our side so as to reach out to these well meaning individuals to join forces and help to advance equality long after NOM leaves town.

You might think that you know a lot about Gloria Allred, the high profile female lawyer who seems to be always taking on higher profile cases at, literally, every turn. But who knew that the no-nonsense lawyer who is one of the nation's leading advocates for women's rights turns out to be a Southwest Philadelphia native. (I would have bet that she was born and raised in Los Angeles for all her hard edge approach and sometimes intimidating arguments.)  Much is revealed in the interview that Richard Rys conducted recently with Allred in Philadelphia Magazine (July 2010) about her humble beginnings ("We didn't have much of material value . . . My father would take me to the movies-he would wait for me nearby because he couldn't afford tickets for both of us." A single parent who had problems getting child support from her divorced husband, is proud of her education from University of Pennsylvania, is even prouder of her legal accomplishments. "I'm an advocate. Our law firm has handled more women's rights cases than any other private law firm in the nation. We have won hundreds of millions of dollars for victims." She's unapologetic of her public dressing down of the likes of Tiger Woods and David Letterman. "I'm happy to represent the typical person in the David and Goliath battle against the rich and powerful and famous. I don't care what people think."

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Who doesn't adore out lesbian actress Cynthia Nixon whether she's playing Miranda in "Sex in the City" on the big or small screens or appearing in Indie queer features like last year's highly successful, "An Englishman in New York" (available on DVD, thanks to Breaking Glass Pictures)? But her courage and support of breast cancer survivors, including her 80-year-old mother and herself, makes you want to love her more. The 44-year-old has been speaking on behalf of Stand Up To Cancer, a nonprofit that supports research for cures told the editors of AARP Magazine (July/August 2010): "I'm not an alarmist about medical matters. I've always believed in knowing your body. Cancer is an ailment, not a death notice."

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Queer musical African-American actor Wilkie Ferguson has really been making the rounds and racking up those frequent flier miles as a traveling cast member of the Tony-award winning show, "In the Heights," that he has been taking around the country since its launch in Miami in 2009. Ironically, the Southern California native plays in the musical that is a celebration of life in a multiethnic neighborhood called Washington Heights, New York City. "It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind."  He grew up as a pianist, served as assistant director of the highly acclaimed Boys' Choir of Harlem but "got bitten by the theater bug . . . I got tired of sitting behind the piano unseen," he admitted to Chris Carpenter (Blade, July 2010). Of "In the Heights," Ferguson who maintains a committed long distance relationship with a fellow actor for four years explained the play: "The main storyline is a universal message about family and finding where you belong . . . GLBT people can definitely identify with that."