Conservative Christians and LGBT supporters schedule competing rallies in Dodge City
Groups on both sides of the family values divide will come within a block of each other with competing demonstrations in Dodge City this Independence Day weekend.
A group called Kansas Revival will hold a church rally Saturday aimed at opposing abortion and “protecting faith, family and freedom,” followed by an afternoon march through the city streets.
About the same time, members of a group called the Kansas Unity Coalition, supporters of LGBT and abortion rights, will gather in the city’s Eisenhower Park for a counter-demonstration in support of “equality, justice and equal rights.”
The church event will feature U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, Kansans for Life President Mary Wilkinson and Cecil Washington, chaplain of the Kansas Senate.
LaTurner and Marshall could face each other in the GOP primary for an open U.S. Senate seat in 2020. LaTurner has announced his candidacy and Marshall is considering a run.
The speakers “will be sharing information and energizing the Christians to be active in protecting the things we love the most which are under attack more than ever in America,” said a written statement announcing the event.
The headliners are scheduled to speak at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church, following a 9 a.m. information fair supporting conservative causes.
At 1 p.m., the group will hit the streets for a flag parade through the city.
Participants are invited to bring “American flags, American historical flags, Christian flags, Christian signs & banners with Scripture, Kansas state flag, American military flags, back the blue law enforcement flags, pro-life flags & banners, crosses.”
“All other flags, signs, and banners must be pre-approved or it will not be allowed in the parade,” according to the rules of the event.
Featured speakers at the competing unity rally will include state Rep. Susan Ruiz, D-Shawnee, Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi and student activist Alejandro Rangel‑Lopez.
“Our message is one of justice, peace, and tolerance – the opposite of what they are promoting,” said Tom Witt, director of the pro-LGBT group Equality Kansas.
The Unity Coalition is a recently formed group that also includes the Democratic Party, the League of Women Voters, Women for Kansas and Planned Parenthood, among others, he said.
Witt said the speakers at the church rally “have all publicly opposed equality and justice for LGBT Kansans, immigrants, women, labor unions and more.”
Kansas Revival organizer Laura Tawater said she had heard rumors of a counter-demonstration, but didn’t know any details until now. She said she’s not expecting confrontation, although her group’s parade route comes within a block of Eisenhower Park.
“We have the freedom to assemble, that’s certainly OK,” Tawater said of the counter-demonstration. “We’re not protesting anything, we’re just having an event that supports our Christian faith, family and freedom.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
