Something To Be Thankful For

You may recall DC Podium's Chuck Fazio, the DC-based sound engineer hired to provide the PA system at the Power Rangers For Jeebus' failed anti-hate crimes rally. Fazio earned our admiration, the ire of the wingnuts, and a gleeful profile in the Washington Post when he turned over the podium and the microphone to a group of gay activists counter-protesting at the event and donated his fee (paid by the wingnuts) back to the activists.

Today one of those student activists, JMG reader Dave Valk, writes to let us know that Fazio's actions have been championed by Meeting Tomorrow, the national company that subcontracted the job to DC Podiums. From their website:

By several media accounts, it was clear that the event was not merely a political rally, but a forum the organizers used to enable and encourage hateful, inflammatory language and epithets. When the press conference ended, and his service to the organization had been rendered, Meeting Tomorrow’s contractor allowed a group of gay-rights activists who were present to use his equipment to voice their opposing perspective. Meeting Tomorrow supports the contractor’s actions and denounces the inflammatory behavior of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

“While Meeting Tomorrow chooses to remain neutral regarding political matters, we believe that the actions of this organization crossed the line from politics into hate-mongering,” says Mark Aistrope, founder and CEO of Meeting Tomorrow. “We support the actions of DC Podiums and Chuck Fazio, and believe he was within his rights to offer his podium and audio visual services to the opposing protesters after his service obligation to this organization had been fulfilled.”

Meeting Tomorrow also announced that they will work with the opposing organizations present at the rally to provide in-kind donations of audio visual equipment rentals and services for a future event. Meeting Tomorrow will also refund the money collected from the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

Tomorrow if you happen to give thanks for the good things in this world, be thankful for our straight allies like Chuck Fazio and supportive corporations like Meeting Tomorrow. We appreciate them. We need them.

NOTE: From the tone of Meeting Tomorrow's statement, it sounds like the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission may have tried to cause trouble for Fazio with them. I'll follow up on that.