I am the organizer for the STANDING WITH ALL FAMILIES presence and I would like to make a couple of points of clarification. I will begin by saying what I'm not going to do, I am not going to engage in a public argument and I am not going to engage in name-calling. This response is for clarification to the wider community. I have also put out an invitation to ANTIFA to sit down with me to talk and hope I will be met on that in the near future. 1) Our efforts require diversity. From the beginning, after reading in the City Paper that ANTIFA planned to use "angry, confrontational tactics" (their words) I began to try and be in touch with them so we could talk about my bottom line concern which was to keep children I knew would be down there with me and other parents safe. The police have been all over tactics like those used by ANITFA in past dissent actions in Pgh, bystanders have been bitten by police dogs, people have been whacked with nightsticks. I had a right to try to hold the line on keeping children safe and whatever tactics chosen by any diverse groups down there needed to keep this in mind also, I feel. Raising the aggression level beyond a certain point when kids are around is irresponsible. (believe me, my biggest fear was the protective mama-bear dykes calling me saying "are my kids gonna be safe?!" I'm afraid of you mama-bear dykes!) 2) Never, and if you read my info on the STANDING WITH ALL FAMILIES web site you will see this, did I try to dictate what ideology the event should have. The decisions made by my committee on tactics to use were made after an open call to a meeting to the wider glbtq and straight allies community and after consensus decision making at our planning meeting. I tried to decribe the tactics we chose as one of creating light rather than creating heat but also allowed that not all groups would agree with us. As many threads as possible were brought into the goals my committee chose and any threads left out were because those groups did not come to the planning table. The short time we had to work with was a part of that I am sure. This whole thing came together in two weeks. 3) SInce when did I ever use the word "passive?" I did, however, use words like relentless determination and creative. Alot of what I hoped to happen at the "Presence" didn't because people pulled out due to safety concerns and I could only do so much that day. For alot of people that did come down that day, it was their first ever dissent action and just showing up was "putting their necks on the line." I also, as a lesbian, put my neck on the line every frickin' day of my life so don't ever accuse me of not being willing to do that. I'm smart about how I do that, though. 4) This event was, I need to remind everyone, just one piece of a two week series of responses which were always part of a much larger agenda on my part. There's alot in the pipeline for glbtq equality in Pennsylvania, I was always keeping focused on my goal of bringing our allies into the efforts and bringing the media into the efforts to speak in solidarity that we and our families are valuable. I could not be happier with my feelings that that was accomplished. These efforts were only just a first step so never, ever, assume that a measured response on my part is passive. I'm pretty determined and have long-term goals in mind. This was just laying groundwork. I hope that a piece of groundwork that can now be laid in bringing ANITFA to the table as well. Safety is also a bottom line I will hold. Property destruction is always something I will not support. Other than that, differences in ideas can be really fun and valuable and allow for even more creativity and impact. But not if we don't talk or stay smart. PS, at the end of the day, James Dobson got a clear message from his poor attendance and our strong media response and efforts that Pittsburgh won't sit idly by while glbtq people are demonized. This was the first ever rally they held in the North and they stated they were watching closley to see the response. I think they got the clear message....not gonna work here. NOw let's all turn our energies to these November elections and help LibertyPA out, shall we?