Heads Up
My friend Kary grew up gay in Conroe, Texas. That’s hard to wrap your mind around because Conroe is Redneck Mecca. Kary went on to become a famous theater producer and is now married to Jimmie, his partner of 35 years. This morning, Kary sent me the following story. New York City ain’t all bad, folks.
OK a quick subway story, as related by one of the dressers from “Wicked”. Spoiler alert, it has a happy ending.
When the train is crowded, we all kind of get in our bubbles and mostly keep to ourselves, a coping mechanism.
Yesterday, as sometimes happens, a subway preacher came in the dresser’s car and started laying it down. Fine, happens, listen, don’t listen, read your phone, convert, whatever; respect but not much attention.
And then, he crossed a line. “And now I want to talk about all this same sex marriage! It’s an abomination! It’s sin! It’s Satan!” And, the bubbles started breaking.
First, one person, “Shut up, man!” Then another, “That’s crap!” and then a few more joined in. The subway preacher: “You’re going to hell! Jesus hates this sin!”
Finally, somewhat spontaneously, the entire car full of strangers started chanting as one:
“GET OFF THE TRAIN! GET OFF THE TRAIN! GET OFF THE TRAIN!”
The preacher couldn’t get a hateful word in edgewise, the train pulled into a scheduled stop and…he got off. As the doors closed on him, the car of strangers cheered, high fived and went on their way.
And that’s one to grow on…
Thanks to Kary for telling me this story.
Great story. Gotta love New Yorkers. Thanks for making me smile!
1Grin. Hurray for New York City!
2I simply don’t remember where, in all my years of being bible taught, it said we are to go around harassing people.
Forgive them, yes.
Comfort them, yes.
Damn them, no.
3Nice!
4Some times ya just gotta do just that!
5Yay!
6I think it was Thomas Aquinas (or St. Augustine) that said to go and preach the gospel…and only when necessary, use words. I often find myself unworthy of evangelizing. I’ve taught the high school version of Sunday school and would like to again, but it’s a struggle for anyone that understands humility. Obviously this “preacher” did not.
7Newww Yorkk Sitty just got sum hope
8Puts me in mind of a song from Guys and Dolls, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin” the Boat” which would have made a great flashmob rendition to drown him out as well. Could have been changed to “Shut up or Get Off the Train”. We’re all so tired of this religion of exclusion. Not what was orginally intended, I’d venture to say.
9New Yorkers unite around telling someone to go to hell.
Great story.
10Great story and so very smile-worthy! Yes, I did smile!!
11Hate brandishing a cross or Bible is still hate. Thank you New York.
12I am always amazed by people who have never set foot in New York tell me how awful New Yorkers are. I wore a nice pressed UT shirt in Manhattan one night and six friendly New Yorkers came up to talk to me. Some of the nicest people in the world live in NYC.
13I’ve visited NYC twice in my life and, like Henry, I found the people there very, very nice.
14I love this story. So heartening.
15small victories.
16I LOVE New York. Always have. Always will.
17Straight out of an episode from _Tales of the City_ (which I’m sure was based on fact). Very heartwarming and encouraging.
18You cannot know how victorious, elated, and proud a story like that makes me (and probably every other LGBTQ person who reads it). The experiences of the last week have taught me what it feels like to have an army of friends who have my back. Now it’s time for all of us to stand up together and tell the ugly people in our part of the world to get off the train, too.
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