It’s no secret that a lot of us queer people share at least a little animosity with Christianity. Some of us come from complicated situations, raised in the faith yet abused and oppressed by it. Some of us, like me, were raised irreligiously. But lately, I have been doing more to explore my spiritual side, and that has looked more like astrology and Wiccan practices than going to church (which, let’s be real, if I walked in there I’d probably burst into flames immediately.)
However, it is the big year of 2025, and we do have, at this point, progressive and intersectional Christian churches. I’m so happy that they exist, and it’s great that people are able to participate in their religions without fear of bigotry or shaming. But this is not a story about those wonderful, accepting churches. This is a story about the crusty, judgmental Evangelicals who have been proselytizing in my neighborhood.
If they were just handing out pamphlets and talking to whomever bothered to stop for them, that would be just fine with me. Still kinda weird behavior, and I don’t like the manipulation tactics they employ, but whatever. Not these people though, they roll out a huge speaker and microphone to make sure everyone (unwillingly) hears what they want to say. Just look at the example below:
I mean, this cannot be what the Downtown Denver Partnership meant when they encouraged buskers to apply for a permit in the city. Busking is supposed to be performing! I picture a dude playing drums on a set of buckets, or someone with an acoustic guitar performing solo. Maybe even a band playing a set. But not this weird, annoying, broadcasted proselytizing. When I called in a noise complaint about how LOUD these people are being, the responding Denver PD officer told me on the phone, rather condescendingly and sarcastically, that if I want the noise to stop, I should go down there and tell them that myself.
Well, alright then. So over this past weekend, I have been picketing against these Evangelical “buskers.” Shouting at them with a megaphone, standing next to them with an “I’m with stupid” sign, or just plain annoying and embarrassing them any way I can. All three times I did it, I refused to stop or leave until they packed up and left.
On Sunday, they really did roll out a professional-grade sound system that was cranked up louder than it even would be for a concert at a venue. Like, it has to be violating some sort of noise ordinance or something, I mean, come on. If they keep at it, it might blow the speaker out. Which would be good because then there’d be no more way to use it for what they’re doing. But until then, the man shown in this video, along with his two accomplices, tried their best to drown me out as I spoke out against what they were doing.
And yes, I did pull a Karen and record what was happening. I sent this video to the Downtown Denver Partnership as well, and asked what they thought of what they saw. Apoorva Gundu, the Partnership’s PR specialist, says: “While our open content practice respects freedom of speech and champions diverse voices, disruptive behavior that rises to ‘disturbing the peace’ is clearly against the policy. The applicant was issued a permit on the basis of the performance description: ‘Speaking, reading, music playing, and a small amplified speaker.’ Gundu also points out in her statement that, “The agreement also includes a ‘three strikes’ policy, which provides grounds for the permit to be revoked for any violations of the aforementioned rules. This particular busker has been sighted twice by our security team, and we will continue to take action.”
Well, while we all wait for the Partnership to boot these losers out of here, I’ve been working on buzzing around like an annoying fly that they just can’t get rid of. Every time the man started talking on the microphone, I started standing right in front of him and talking over him, reading from my book about gay witchcraft. I made a cardboard sign at home that said “Satan is Boring” and made sure to hold it right in front of his sign to block his message from getting out. He told me, as we both stood on the corner of 16th Street and Tremont Pl in downtown Denver, that he was here to “win” and kept “thanking” me for “proving his point” by being the “perfect example of the Devil.” Well, OK, I’ll be the devil, sure, but you’re definitely not gonna win.
Eventually, he did pack up and leave, like a loser, despite his intent to “win.” I am taking this picketing thing seriously because I think proselytizing, especially in the manner in which these people are doing it, is wrong. As the snarky and unhelpful Denver PD officer who inspired me said, “It’s his First Amendment right” to do it. So, therefore, I will also exercise my 1A right. I’m not doing it to advertise my religion like it’s some sort of house-flipping seminar, like they are. I’m only there to sabotage and undercut the efforts of these harmful and toxic Christian churches to indoctrinate new members into its cult.
Video and screen capture courtesy of Ixora Cook
