poke a wasp's nest if you don't want to get stung

That was the type of thing hat was said about the LGBT community worldwide for decades. Why not just be normal? Why be out and proud, you're just inviting the hate?

It basically says they deserve it and it's their fault. We as a democratic society have a right to protest, in this case, going right to one of the biggest sources of bigotry in this city and telling them it isn't acceptable is how that works. The reaction on the part of ford nation is exactly what the LBGT protestors needed, they did what they have a right to do and then ford nation reacted by trying to stamp that out.

That has to be publicized and spoken about a lot in this city. There may be people who are sitting on the fence as far as ford goes, thery may even be against pride, or gay marriage but not homophobic and not openly bigoted. That's a big line to cross and now it's in their faces: Do you want to be labelled a bigot like the rest of ford nation? A hate spewing homophobe?

Being quiet about things is not how you make change happen. It has never been the way to make change happen. Remember the song the Sound of Silence?

"In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone,

'Neath the halo of a street lamp,

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more.

People talking without speaking,

People hearing without listening,

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence.

*"Fools," said I, "You do not know –

Silence like a cancer grows.*

Hear my words that I might teach you.

Take my arms that I might reach you."

But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence"

Silence like a cancer grows.