LGBT Texans Ponder Perry's Presidential Aspirations

With Texas Gov. Rick Perry scheduled to officially announce his presidential campaign later on Saturday, Aug. 13, in South Carolina, LGBT Texans who attended or protested the Houston prayer rally at which he spoke returned home with an on the ground view of the socially conservative Republican and his supporters.

The Response organizers described the gathering inside Reliant Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 6, as religious rather than a political event. And while there was little talk of politics in Houston, analysts maintain the gathering was designed to allow Perry to gain the support of fundamental Christians in his bid to secure the Republican presidential nomination.

"Look at the media attention it drew and the typical Republican grab of getting the conservative Christian vote," said Houston resident Meghan Stabler, who sits on the Human Rights Campaign's Board of Directors. "It was an occasion for Perry to establish himself as a religious leader who would bring God to all elements of the federal government. It was very well calculated."

Stabler, who was inside Reliant Stadium writing, Tweeting and taking photos, said she found attendees were generally polite, nice people who were united in a common belief that they are doing the right thing.

"For those souls looking for divine guidance it became a 'group sense' of belonging and that is what is awkward about The Response," said Stabler. "As the prayapalooza unfolded, it rose up into a fever pitch of people who, for personal reasons, don't believe anything beyond the literal evangelical revival approach that was fed to them. They hold out hope because they see the world around them evolving, and for them it's uncomfortable."

Anywhere from 200 to 400 protesters gathered outside the stadium at any one time, with as many as 1,000 people participating throughout the day. LGBT and religious groups to atheists and secular humanists and even members of the Westboro Baptist Church took part.

Michael Diviesti and John Dean Domingue of GetEQUAL TX reported both support and unfriendly gestures from observers.

"It was amazing the support we got on the outside, both thumbs up and honking," said Diviesti. "Some people did put a different finger up, however."

Three times throughout the day the group staged a mock funeral procession complete with a cardboard casket. Diviesti said the intent was to draw attention to the fact that the homophobic rhetoric that often comes from the American Family Association, which sponsored the prayer rally, and other groups can have real consequences in the form of violence and even suicide.

"The sidewalks opened up as we walked through," said Diviesti. "Some were taking their hats off. In others you could see tears."

Domingue reported some confrontations including a driver who "curb checked" protesters by pulling his truck onto the sidewalk. Several other times trucks would purposely blow exhaust fumes towards the crowd. Domingue said a woman pushed him as she left the rally.

There is also controversy about how many people were inside the stadium. Reports the week prior indicated only 8,000 had purchased advance tickets. The Christian Science Monitor reported 22,000 people attended, while the New York Times estimated 30,000. Stabler said organizers Tweeted that as many as 44,000 participated.

"From the live feed, you can see they blocked off half the stadium, leaving 35,000 seats, said Domingue. "You can see more than 5,000 empty seats. I think their numbers are inflated."

Stabler, Diviesti and Domingue all put the likely actual attendance number at more than 20,000.

Stabler took a photo of the crowd during Perry's address and pointed to a large number of empty seats in the upper levels of the stadium.

"When it started reaching into 44,000 attendees, I said I'm calling bullshit on that one," she said.

In any case, all saw the event as an opportunity for Perry to secure the support of the Christian Right to gain the Republican presidential nomination. GOP candidates often run to the right during the primaries, but they usually moderate their positions going into the general election.

Stabler insists there remains little chance that Perry would govern from the center if he succeeds President Barack Obama in the White House. "That's not how he's done it in Texas," said Stabler. "I think he'll continue to be divisive, especially regarding LGBT issues."