If you were following my story from a few days ago about the closing down of Avenue 10’s production of “Bent,” I’d just like to update you:
a) The anonymous complaint leading to the closing of the theatre did not, in fact, come from Repent Amarillo, although RA did include the Avenue 10 Theatre as one of its “sinful” organizations. It came from a man named Charlie Eli Chick, Executive Director of Soulcatchers Prayer Group and Outreach Center. Here’s the article that outs him, and that features my host James Doore’s visit to the City Council to ask about the motivations for the particular timing of the closing of the theatre venue.
b) The production will be presented at the UU Fellowship of Amarillo on Friday and Saturday night. Here’s a nice article in the Amarillo Globe-News about it.
I’ll bet dollars to donuts that Charlie Eli Chick drives an old beat-up Buick with a box full of recyclable used copier paper in the trunk including a cover page that says, “The Unitarians and the Universalists”. [Gee, we were wondering the SAME thing!! Great minds do indeed think alike! – PB]
The next question is, is he now or has he ever been a member of Repent Amarillo?
Oh, and is he any relation to Jack?
(((Oh, and is he any relation to Jack?)))
More importantly, he’s no relation to me.
ChaliceChick [smart aleck! – PB]
Got curious, so I thought I’d check out the “Repent Amarillo” website and see who else they had “blacklisted.” In addition to the 10th Avenue Theater and the UU Fellowship, there are a gay-friendly Methodist church, a gay-friendly Episcopal church, five Masonic lodges, two Christian Science congregations, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, an Islamic Center, the local Metropolitan Community Church, the “First Church of Practical Christianity” (a metaphysical church), and “Earth Circles” at the Wildcat Bluff Nature Center and the Amarillo “Peace Farm,” a camp where individuals who have come to Amarillo to protest at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant stay.
Branching out a bit, there is the 806 Coffeehouse (where Wiccans and homosexuals like to hang out on Saturday afternoons), [AND VISITING UU MINISTERS DO, TOO! – PB] the Reiki New Age Center, four “Occult” bookstores, four “Adult” bookstores, an “underground swingers club,” six strip clubs, six gay bars, a Palm Reader, a “death metal” music venue, and (of course) Planned Parenthood.
It’s an interesting map of the mind of religious conservatives, to say the least.