Women's festival claims harrassment by south Ga. police, residents

[fuzi]

Chase W wrote:

Just as I suspected. I just got off the phone with some friends of mine that where there for the event and they said none of what is said in this article is true. So obviously this is a lame attempt from Vickie Blankenship to get exposure, not to mention sad sad sad.

I don't believe you. Why are you here lying so blatantly?

[Gay Mom]

Chase W wrote:

<quoted text>
I had one other thought Gay Mom, you have a tag of 'Love Thy Neighbor' yet you make comments like this. First you don't know me, so saying it's a likely story is quite demeaning. I am sorry if hearing from others that where at the event, the women who where supposadly crying in thier tents and cabbins, give there recolection which doesn't jive with the press release.
Maybe you should think about this, why should we believe Vickie Blankenship?

My point exactly. How can you or I know what to believe?

[OutVoice]

We can find out what to believe by doing our homework. The press release I got stated that the owner did not report prior "issues" to the promoter. It also stated that the promoter did not investigate deeply before booking. The action by the locals is awful. The lesson here is don't accept. Check it out for yourself. If booking an event do not assume that GLBT owned and operated means all good. Don't assume that just because there is a GLBT business that means the area is safe. Seems lots to go around here in the learning department.

[Chase W]

OutVoice wrote:

We can find out what to believe by doing our homework. The press release I got stated that the owner did not report prior "issues" to the promoter. It also stated that the promoter did not investigate deeply before booking. The action by the locals is awful. The lesson here is don't accept. Check it out for yourself. If booking an event do not assume that GLBT owned and operated means all good. Don't assume that just because there is a GLBT business that means the area is safe. Seems lots to go around here in the learning department.

I agree, assumptions cause more problems than good. And for the record, I did call Roy McLeroy along with other women who where at the event. Allthough I didn't contact Vickie, I tend to believe the majority which discredits most of the story, especially the parts about the community there harrrassing the patrons by yelling obsenities. Again people need to gather all the information before causing such hate to rule.

So who else besides Vickie was able to confirm all of her allogations?

[Chase W]

fuzi wrote:

<quoted text>I don't believe you. Why are you here lying so blatantly?

Fuzi - Well I don't care if you believe me, that just proves my point even further. People need to get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

[Chase W]

Gay Mom wrote:

<quoted text>
My point exactly. How can you or I know what to believe?

At least we agree on that!:-)

It's a shame that our community as a whole can't unite against true issues that affect all of us equaly. This one issue, because of the all the different stories, has caused us to fight amongst ourselves when we should be getting all the facts and comming together as a community to fight the oppression we all face. The fact that our communit is so splintered and the in-fighting don't help our causes we should be focused on.

If we stand alone we will certainly fall, stad together and we shal prevail.

[Chase W]

I just had to put this out also....

WHERE ARE THE YOUTUBE VIDEOS?

[OutVoice]

The latest is that the campground owner and a lesbian activist from Savannah who was there, have issued a statement in disagreement with the promoter. Here is the link http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm... Bottom line, this is doing our community no good. We need to resolve this. If there are real witnesses who can prove they were there, please contact me through www.outvoice.net with any information, I will get all emails from the site. I am gathering information from both sides, if they both participate, for posting at www.outvoice.net so our community can learn from this and get to a resolution. I will also post here for readers to follow. Let's stop the hype, gossip, and negatives, get facts, and resolve. This can hurt the campground and future GLBT events in general. Hosts and organizers are responsible for the safety of event attendees. We need to know now that this has been blown to national attention, the facts.

[unimpressed]

As I stated earlier, that's exactly my concern about this report as well. I find it hard to believe no videos or pictures have surfaced concerning this story. Cell phones? Digital Cameras? Unless this was a return to nature event and all electronics forbidden, seems to me those lesbians would have had their cameras out in force. No matter how scared I was, that would definitely have been something to cross my mind: shoot first, ask questions later!

[Jeigh]

Many thanx to Chase W and OutVoice -

My husband (an employee of the campground in question) was on the phone with Ms. Blankenship last night for an hour, and it was obvious that she would rather distort the facts and cause a fight than help resolve this issue. I find it very sad that she chooses to see hate and confrontation instead of harmony and a desire to be happy and peaceful. Please do not make up your mind about this case until you hear all the sides of the issue.

Roy's Hideaway and the area in which it resides is a very safe, peaceful, and welcoming community...I have been there myself for another gay music festival and there were no problems. Being there was a joy and Im looking forward to it becoming my new home.

[Chase W]

OutVoice wrote:

The latest is that the campground owner and a lesbian activist from Savannah who was there, have issued a statement in disagreement with the promoter. Here is the link http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm... Bottom line, this is doing our community no good. We need to resolve this. If there are real witnesses who can prove they were there, please contact me through www.outvoice.net with any information, I will get all emails from the site. I am gathering information from both sides, if they both participate, for posting at www.outvoice.net so our community can learn from this and get to a resolution. I will also post here for readers to follow. Let's stop the hype, gossip, and negatives, get facts, and resolve. This can hurt the campground and future GLBT events in general. Hosts and organizers are responsible for the safety of event attendees. We need to know now that this has been blown to national attention, the facts.

Thank you for your willingness to get all the facts.

The community needs to truely unite for change to happen.

[fuzi]

Chase W wrote:

<quoted text>
Fuzi - Well I don't care if you believe me, that just proves my point even further. People need to get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

I apologize for my earlier characterization of you. It is simply that here, on Topix, of late it seems we are inundated with trolls from the "conservatives" trying to denounce everything and using the same "I know these people personally" tactic. The fact that you're not registered makes your posts even more suspicious.

[Chase Woofer]

fuzi wrote:

<quoted text>I apologize for my earlier characterization of you. It is simply that here, on Topix, of late it seems we are inundated with trolls from the "conservatives" trying to denounce everything and using the same "I know these people personally" tactic. The fact that you're not registered makes your posts even more suspicious.

Fuzi - Thank you, and as you stated, posting without signing up can look susspicious so I have gone and registered.

Big Bear Hugs!

[Malchom Mooty Booty]

To Gay Mom-
Yea and we could hose your nasty ass down also!!!
Say up their with the rest of the white trash!!!!

[Chase Woofer]

Malchom Mooty Booty wrote:

To Gay Mom-
Yea and we could hose your nasty ass down also!!!
Say up their with the rest of the white trash!!!!

Now Malchom, what brings this on? Are you that ignorant?

[OutVoice]

Just an update, and thanks and welcomes to those offering either. It is important to get some resolve to this. No new information has been received. The campground is supposed to get back with some information. As the march is this weekend I am waiting a bit. I have had no response from Ms. Blankenship, or from any attendee or attending artist. I am not looking to make any judgments here, but to simply post the information received so that we as a community may make an intelligent decision. I hope the parties involved realize that individual, organization, event, and GLBT business reputations all are at risk here. There can be a resolution that does not include a loss to the event due to perceived mismanagement or a loss to the campground over perceived mismanagement. Just requires cooperation from all parties and ownership of areas where improvement could take place. However, ignoring the issue is not the answer. Will keep you posted. Again if you have information please contact me through www.outvoice.net .

[lady]

This is da South. What else DO you expect?

Still 70 years behind the rest of the country.