Southern Decadence march report, profile of Grant Storms
New Orleans police restricted where christian conservative protesters could march through the Southern Decadence festivities. Jonno wrote on Thursday:
And it turns out that the route for the "Stop Southern Decadence" march some friends and I have worked ourselves into a lather about has been changed and won't be coming anywhere near the intersection of Saint Ann and Bourbon tomorrow evening, although we're still planning on showing up on the balcony of the Bourbon Pub tomorrow night with our glitter and party string to "welcome" any splinter groups that might wander into the celebration.
Today's
New Orleans Times-Picayune has a
report on the march (possible zip/age/gender questionnaire before you get to the article — go ahead and lie!). The paper also contains an
unflattering profile of Grant Storms:
For a year and a half after losing his pulpit [for an unspecified "moral failing" that led to his second divorce], Storms never thought he would preach again, he said. But during a 36-hour fast he claimed to have experienced a call from God that in due course led to Storms' securing a show on WSHO, a Christian AM radio station.
Although Storms preaches twice a week at his Marrero church that shares a storefront with a convenience store and a pawn shop, his daily radio show for the past seven years gave him a platform long before he took on Southern Decadence. [...]
He has long preached against "satanic" Catholicism, which he believes to be "demonic." One Storms radio series on the topic prompted a priest, the Rev. Robert Guste, to ask for equal time to respond, [station manager] Ainsworth said, "and we were glad to oblige."
Storms was preaching door to door when he encountered the customers at a Westwego beauty salon about a year and a half ago. He challenged them to name the Ten Commandments, betting, he said, that because they were Catholics they could not. They took offense. Somebody called the police.
The officer on the scene called headquarters. "He was very stubborn, very rude, very obnoxious," said Westwego Police Chief Dwayne "Poncho" Munch. "I remember hearing him in the background. . . . He was saying he was going to put us all over the radio. . . . I thought he was a real ornery fellow."
God spoke to me too many years ago during a 6-hour, uh, well, not a fast, but his rap was all about love and universal consciousness and the interconnectedness of all living creatures. Nothing about getting my own talk show. I feel cheated.
I am appalled that this man calls himself Christian. Based on the huge signs he had printed for the event his doctrine is unsound (Got hates SINS not SINNERS, otherwise why would have sent his Son as a living sacrifice to save us?) I am also disgusted by the way he "Grandstanded" through the streets with TV crews in pocket. Truth is, Sothern Decadencs is no worse than Mardi Gras or any other night on Bourbon. This very weekend there were just as many women in the "straight" portion of Bouron Street flashing their breasts and other parts for beads. So to Rev. Storms, I'm praying for YOUR soul because "Jesus loves me just as I am and without one plea..."
My group of friends and I participated in the protest, and I can say that Rev. Storms is nothing more than a bully leading a pack of mindless brutes who may or may not be on his payroll. Many of his 'clan' cried and were visibly ashamed to even be associated with the march, but continued on.
I spoke to the police and SWAT team that were called out to help keep the group of 30-40 protesters WHO ACTUALLY SHOWED UP under control. and they were not at all pleased about having to protect the rights of this man and his group...going almost far enough to say they were sickened by his abuse of power and questionable religous followers.
By the way...the sinner in question (Rev. Storms) will also be in the line at hell's gate for not only abandoning two wives, but for passing judgement on others. Glass houses, Rev. Storms. Glass houses.
I respected his group's freedom of speech, but Rev. Storms needs to get down of the cross and give it back to the Lord.
Grant Storms is a clown. Please note that he and his followers are from places like Marrero, River Ridge, and Metairie. These places are OUTSIDE of New Orleans, NOT PART of the city. We here in New Orleans welcome EVERYONE, regardless of race, creed, color, religion or lack thereof, or sexual orientation. Storms and his crew are not citizens of New Orleans. They do not pay taxes here or participate in our government. Therefore they have no real right to comment on what we do in our fair city.
If we, THE TAXPAYERS OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE RESIDENTS OF NEW ORLEANS, want to invite and welcome A MILLION GLBT people with flaming pink flags wearing tutus and biker gear and have them march down the street at high noon singing "Glad to be Gay," in four part choral arrangements, with accompaniment from a 400-piece all-gay marching band, riding parade floats, throwing doubloons showing explicit gay sex to the crowd, WE WILL DO SO, without the input of a bunch of PINHEAD INBRED YAHOO HOMOPHOBES from the stinking lily-white SUBURBS. It is the business of the PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS. What we allow and do not allow DOES NOT CONCERN people who DO NOT PAY TAXES HERE AND DO NOT LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS.
The only reason Storms and the rest of the Born Again Taliban were allowed to "march" was that the Ayatollah Grant constantly threatens to sue the city if they can't do their little "March of the Scared Whiteys."
Grant Storms can go back to New York and get in fistfights on the streets there (he has a bit of a record in that department). As a citizen of New Orleans, I can tell you he is NOT WELCOME IN NEW ORLEANS, nor are his repressed anal-retentive idiot followers.
This kind of behavior pisses me off, and I'm not even gay. I'm a NEW ORLEANS resident though, and WE will do as we DAMN WELL PLEASE without a bunch of OUTSIDERS trying to turn my beautiful city into some kind of Jim Jones cult community.
Enough of this mindless idiot please. I am GAY, and PROUD. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend at Southern Decadence for the 12th year running. Neither Rev. Storm or anyone else will stop my and my partner of 14 years from attending future events in New Orleans. Thank you to a wonderful city and to all of it's residents who are open minded enough to allow another segment of humanity to enjoy ourselves.
I have not ever, and will never "flash" my privates in public, nor engage in "street sex". I've got far too much respect for the straight people who are also trying to enjoy themselves in the city. This type of behaviour is NOT a part of the festivities, and an entire segment of humanity should not be shunned because of poor judgement on a few peoples part.
Once again, THANK YOU NEW ORLEANS!
Hello Everyone, I am Louie. You know, I was not there at the southern decadence festival but, I would think that the reason reverend storms "clan" were crying was because so many people were living in sin. I mean homosexual and heterosexual people. The whole purpose of the stop southern decadence march is: repentance. You know, people getting saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, and by the way homosexuality is a sin. Just take a look at these scriptures: Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1, 1Corinthians 6:9. I will keep all of you in my prayers. I pray that all of you will be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.
There's a time and place for everything. The times...Mardi Gras and Southern Decadence...the place...a few blocks of the Quarter. The people of New Orleans love a party and know the do's and especially the don't's. You don't drag your kids down Bourbon St. and you don't try to ruin someone's party. As a native New Orleanian living in Denver, I was shocked by the actions of Grant Storms and his followers. Mom always taught me respect for others. I would imagine that Grant grew up as a spoiled brat that always got his way. Bad boy! Where's your manners?
The Rev. Grant Storms may be a complete fraud.
As the President of www.StopGrantStorms.org and a member of the Yahoo group Storm Stoppers, I receive hundreds of emails a day with information and links to information about the Rev. Grant Storms. While the information’s accuracy cannot be verified in all cases I can say that I have received multiple emails from different contributors that support all of the following alleged facts:
High school drop out
New York truck driver / street preacher
Drug addict
Part of the white supremacist "Christian Identity" movement
Divorced 2 times and married 3 times
Has a lengthy criminal record
Has no formal religious training
Seen purchasing porn at an east side adult bookstore
His church is bankrupt because it has only 40 members
His church may not be an officially recognized church
Cited last Sunday for assault
Man alleged to be one of his followers was arrested last Saturday for attempted murder after Storms allegedly motivated him to commit a hate crime.
People who identified themselves as working for Storms were seen enticing individuals to expose themselves for their camera during Southern Decadence.
I asked Storms about some of these allegations while he was in the French Quarter Friday night. His response was “I admit it. I’m not perfect”. When the local ABC reporter Melinda Spalding asked storms about some of the same allegations listed above Storms didn’t deny them he just quickly changed the subject. When Chris Rose asked him about these allegations Storms denied some, confirmed others and admitted to be a former drug addict. Chris compared Storms to David Duke and then Storms used the n-word and compared himself to ML King.
We are planning a nationwide media blitz to discredit Storms. Anything you can do to help us would be greatly appreciated.
Gary A. Giddings
www.StopGrantStorms.org
Hi Bernie, Why should I be afraid of bringing my family down to the french quarter at any time I want, any day I want? Don't I have a right to do that? And if you want to talk about respect. Do you really believe that homosexuals and sinful heterosexuals really tolerate and respect christians? NO! If you had any respect for God you would repent of your sins and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And you would not be men dressing in female clothing (Deuteronomy 22:5).
Hi again, May I suggest to all take a look at this web site. biblelaw.com. It offers good information.
Hey Louie, We homosexuals and sinful heterosexuals have the right to walk down Bourbon street with our gallon size beers in a huge plastic mug in the shape of a naked lady while we through cheep beads at the pretty young college girls for showing us their boobies and not be harassed by Christians that want to ram there religion down our throats.
Hi again, May I suggest to all take a look at this web site. www.ChristiansSuck.com It offers good information.
Hi Over the top, May I suggest to you that you need to grow up and become the man or woman, whatever you are, and become the person that God wants you to be. Anyone who goes down bourbon street, sipping on a gallon of beer from a plastic mug shaped like a naked woman and tempts sluts to reveal there breasts can't be to mature. Please pray for your salvation.
Has anyone here ever looked up the definition of decadence. I did and my websters dictionary tells me that decadence means "a becoming bad, immoral, or impure." And from what I have heard and read on the southern decadence web site they claim that southern decadence is a celebration of the homosexual lifestyle, music, etc. So this tells me that you come to louisiana to celebrate an impure, and immoral lifestyle called homosexuality.
Are you guys nuts? God doesn't have time to worry about sinning and sex when he has all this poor grammer to sort through and correct. Since you have your dictionary out, louie, I suggest you spend less time worrying about the homoSEXUALS and spend more time learning your homoPHONES.
I will say this Grant Storms has made his name known and nows he on his way. I do not believe in southern gay parade, and I wish it was not here. I live in New Orleans and I hate this junk that fills the steets. If some one wants to be gay and do this crap , do it at home no one wants to see it. Only gay people want to see it, As far as the protest I think what grant and others have done is awesome they stood up for what they believed in and thats something. God will judge all in the end time that's something we can count on.
Scott, if you truly believe that "God will judge all in the end time," then stop judging me now. If no one wants to see the Southern Decadence parade, then why is the Quarter filled with thousands of people, most of them straight, for every parade? If you dislike gays and lesbians so much, I encourage you to stay out of my neighborhood, where I have lived for the past 11 years. I too am standing up for what I believe - and that is that I will not be intimidated by religious zealots in the city where I live, work, vote, and pay taxes.
First of all, AMEN to Bubbles! I have had enough of these self proclaimed "Christians" judging me. I believe in the Bible, and I believe it says NOTHING to condemn homosexuality. However, some see it differently. Yes, I could go out and preach to all those who don't agree with how I interpret the Bible, but who am I to judge them? Jesus' Gospel is about love, acceptance, and tolerance. Louie, I would like to call your attention to the story in the Bible about Jesus sitting and having dinner with the tax collectors. In those days, tax collectors were viewed as horrible sinners, just as homosexuals are viewed by many today. However, Jesus sat with those men, He showed them love, tolerance, acceptance, and He DID NOT judge them. My advice for you, Louie, is that you spend a little less time judging others, and concentrate on your own soul. I think you should live by the standard WWJD (what would Jesus do?). I think reading that story in the Bible clearly states what He would do, don't you?
I think "WWJD" he would set down with gay and lesbian people and preach love as he did to the tax collectors....as you said. Yes he would do that. Then he would preach to them the wages of their sin.
Take God and Jesus out of the equation!!
Can two men have a baby? No
Can two women have a baby? No
Does any other animal on earth practice homosexuality? No
It is a sin against God, Jesus and it is abnormal behavior.
However what you do in your own home with the partner you chose is your business....not mine. When I get involved is when anyone tells me I have to accept it.....I don't....I won't.....but you feel free.
I am too busy worring about myself getting into heaven.
