When you want to win the groomer bingo and you go all out.
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Article 2- about the "gay prom"
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Article 3- the pastors "answer questions" for Yahoo News
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NAPLES (FLV) – According to a new event promotion flyer, the Naples United Church of Christ will be hosting a “Youth Pride Conference” on May 21st for “LGBTQ youth” aged 12-18.
The event is free and will feature a “drag show” as an “exploration of LGBTQ-related issues facing today’s youth.” The form for children to apply is here. Attendees are asked to enter their pronouns, the name of their school, and free shuttle transportation will be provided to and from Immokalee and Golden Gate Middle Schools.
Florida’s Voice reached out to Collier County Schools on why transportation is being permitted directly from school property to a LGBTQ drag show. When informed of the event organizer’s plans to shuttle students from school property, the district said Collier County public schools may not be used as “transit points for the pickup and drop-off of students for this event.“
“The District was never informed nor contacted about this event. CCPS [Collier County Public Schools] is not a sponsor of the event, which is being held at a private facility. CCPS also neither authorized nor approved the transportation of CCPS students to and from district school sites by the event organizers. Any inference to the contrary is fully rejected by CCPS,” they said.
“To this end, CCPS has spoken with the event organizer and explained that the information on the registration form, and any associated flyer, must be immediately corrected to reflect that CCPS is not a co-sponsor nor will it allow its school sites to be used as transit points for the pickup and drop-off of students for this event.”
The organizers – GLSEN Collier – say that the event is a “one-day conference” that is “created by and for LGBTQ youth seeking to explore LGBTQ-related issues they face today.”
The church is headed by Rev. Dawson B. Taylor, the Senior Minister. Their website says that Dawson became Senior Minister in 2016 and that he holds a B.A. in Political Science.
Last month, Dawson was caught trying to host a gay prom for children at his church.
Dawson describes himself as a “progressive pastor.” In his Twitter bio, he includes “#BLM” in reference to the activist organization involved in mass political rioting in 2020.
The pastor also says that he “stand with Planned Parenthood,” an organization that actively promotes the termination of unborn children’s lives, in contrast to pro-life Christians.
In a February 24, 2022 Tweet, Dawson exclaimed that “We are all Ukraine. We are all Transgender young people.”
“We are all women who need access to healthcare without government interference. Let us pray especially for those oppressed by bullies with power.” His account has garnered backlash from conservatives.
Lucas Miles, author of The Christian Left and well-known Christian personality, told FLV that the Christian church “should be leading the way to protect young minds from explicit materials and behaviors, definitely not approving of them, or God forbid, hosting an inappropriate event that appears to have been planned without the knowledge of parents—or even the school.”
“This isn’t about politics or policy anymore. It’s a battle for retaining basic moral truths and protecting a vulnerable generation of young persons from being groomed and indoctrinated by corrupt thinkers and damaging ideologies,” he continued.
********************
NAPLES (FLV) – A pastor in Naples, Florida, planned to host a gay prom for children organized behind the back of administrators at Barron Collier High School.
After it was reported that a teacher at the high school planned a “gay prom” for students at a nearby church, the district said that the promotion flyer was taken down and an investigation is underway.
“The poster was placed without approval of the school administration, and it was promptly removed,” the district told FLV, saying that the prom was “neither organized nor endorsed by Barron Collier High or Collier County Public Schools.”
The Naples United Church of Christ is headed by Rev. Dawson B. Taylor, the Senior Minister. Their website says that Dawson became Senior Minister in 2016 and that he holds a B.A. in Political Science.
Dawson describes himself as a “progressive pastor.” In his Twitter bio, he includes “#BLM” in reference to the activist organization involved in mass political rioting in 2020.
The pastor also says that he “stand with Planned Parenthood,” an organization that actively promotes the termination of unborn children’s lives, in contrast to pro-life Christians.
In a February 24, 2022 Tweet, Dawson exclaimed that “We are all Ukraine. We are all Transgender young people.”
“We are all women who need access to healthcare without government interference. Let us pray especially for those oppressed by bullies with power.” His account has garnered backlash from conservatives.
FLV reached out to the church where the event on Saturday, April 30, was supposed to take place and did not receive a response from Dawson or the church. They were given several days to respond. Dawson blocked FLV Founder and Editor-in-Chief Brendon Leslie after he criticized the pastor for hosting a gay prom for children “in secret.”
Lucas Miles, author of The Christian Left and well-known Christian personality, told FLV that the Christian church “should be leading the way to protect young minds from explicit materials and behaviors, definitely not approving of them, or God forbid, hosting an inappropriate event that appears to have been planned without the knowledge of parents—or even the school.”
“This isn’t about politics or policy anymore. It’s a battle for retaining basic moral truths and protecting a vulnerable generation of young persons from being groomed and indoctrinated by corrupt thinkers and damaging ideologies,” he continued.
The teacher who planned the event is the same teacher who taught students about the controversial “genderbread person,” students told FLV.
Harriet Howard Heithaus, Naples Daily News
May 20, 2022·5 min read
A teen pride event at a Naples church Saturday that includes a drag show is drawing attention.
The London-based tabloid Daily Mail, the Washington Examiner and Florida's Voice, a Southwest Florida media outlet, are among those who have reported on the Youth Pride Conference for LGBTQ+ teens Saturday at Naples United Church of Christ.
The kerfuffle is over a conference that its organizers say is meant to educate youth from sixth to 12th grade on issues facing them.
Issues that will be addressed range from "LGBTQ mental health issues facing students, inclusive sex education, since they aren't provided with that in school, lots of different topics that are important for these kids," said Daniel Selvey Shaw, representative for GLSEN Collier County, a support organization for LGBTQ+ students.
Although the title originally stood for Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, the organization now goes simply by its acronym, GLSEN, pronounced "glisten."
The Rev. Dr. David Greenhaw, retired president of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, is interim pastor at Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road.
He and Shaw answered questions about Saturday's gathering:
Naples Daily News: Was the departure of the previous pastor, the Rev. Dawson Taylor, Ph.D., at Naples United Church of Christ, on May 15 the result of a furor over the upcoming conference?
Church and GLSEN: No, said Greenhaw, who said he was talked into making himself "a failure at retirement" months ago as Taylor's temporary replacement.
"I got a call from a longtime friend and board member who's a member of the church in late February saying their minister was going to be leaving at the end of May after being on staff for eight years, six years as senior minister," Greenshaw said. "It was a choice that he made to leave. He wasn't fired or anything like that.
"His process in deciding to leave has absolutely nothing, nothing, nothing to do with the GLSEN group. That is pure rumor."
The actual reason Taylor chose to leave this year is something best shared by him, Greenhaw said, but added, "If I were to say one thing it's been extremely difficult on clergy to lead congregations during the pandemic. The stress on clergy has been everywhere. It's been hard."
His observation aligns with a recent study by the Barna Group, which specializes in studying faith and culture issues. Among the pastors interviewed, 38 percent had considered quitting the ministry in 2021.
The Daily News was not able to reach Taylor for a comment, however.
NDN: Why is the church sponsoring this conference?
Church and GLSEN: It's not. The GLSEN Youth Pride Conference is sponsored by that organization.
"We lease the space. We paid for the personnel. While the church absolutely supports the mission of our organization, they are simply facilitators by reason of the rental agreement we've entered into," Shaw said.
"We don't have reason at the moment not to trust them to continue what appears to be good work in the community," Greenhaw said.
NDN: The drag show?
Church and GLSEN: "It's no different than what you'd find at a local Naples Pride or Fort Myers Pride or Cape Coral Pride event that families are at all the time. I take my 3- and 4-year-old sons to these because they're fun and entertaining," Shaw said. "They're making it sound like a drag show that is this big taboo show."
The entire event has been planned with students, he said.
"These kids need it, especially now that they're trying to force any queer-related issues out of the schools, as if they're 'less than.' Trying to make them feel more excluded. Scaring them to come out. Trying to keep teachers from offering safe spaces," Shaw said. "Nobody's really supporting these kids and they're being left in the dust."
Greenhaw said that from its perspective, the church has never had a problem with events GLSEN has held on its property,
"It wouldn't be something I would do, but then I didn't put the program together."
That said, Greenhaw reaffirmed the church's theology as an inclusive one.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw even became involved, responding on Twitter to a question about how a church is holding a drag show for middle schoolers.
"The church leadership is organizing it. It's a 'progressive church.' So I would suggest you ask @dawsonbtaylor," Pushaw tweeted May 12.
Conservative media outlets have especially focused on whether Collier County Public Schools would be busing students to the event.
NDN: Are or were Collier County Public Schools providing support for the conference?
Church and GLSEN: No, they never were, according to Shaw. News media contacted the school district about the original form, which designated two schools as pickup points for students who need transportation, and an official e-mailed the group telling them to change their form.
"I spoke with the school districts and informed them we never planned on being on the school campuses," Shaw said. "But because these are students and a school is a focal central landmark, we were using the front of the school as a pickup point.
"We never planned to be on campus. We know we're not supposed to do that."
The negative publicity has been frustrating, Shaw said.
"We've had a dream of doing this since we founded the local GLSEN chapter in Collier County five or six years ago," he said. "But there's not been a time in the last few years when it's been more important."
Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.
Article 1
Archive
Article 2- about the "gay prom"
Archive
Article 3- the pastors "answer questions" for Yahoo News
Archive
NAPLES (FLV) – According to a new event promotion flyer, the Naples United Church of Christ will be hosting a “Youth Pride Conference” on May 21st for “LGBTQ youth” aged 12-18.
The event is free and will feature a “drag show” as an “exploration of LGBTQ-related issues facing today’s youth.” The form for children to apply is here. Attendees are asked to enter their pronouns, the name of their school, and free shuttle transportation will be provided to and from Immokalee and Golden Gate Middle Schools.
Florida’s Voice reached out to Collier County Schools on why transportation is being permitted directly from school property to a LGBTQ drag show. When informed of the event organizer’s plans to shuttle students from school property, the district said Collier County public schools may not be used as “transit points for the pickup and drop-off of students for this event.“
“The District was never informed nor contacted about this event. CCPS [Collier County Public Schools] is not a sponsor of the event, which is being held at a private facility. CCPS also neither authorized nor approved the transportation of CCPS students to and from district school sites by the event organizers. Any inference to the contrary is fully rejected by CCPS,” they said.
“To this end, CCPS has spoken with the event organizer and explained that the information on the registration form, and any associated flyer, must be immediately corrected to reflect that CCPS is not a co-sponsor nor will it allow its school sites to be used as transit points for the pickup and drop-off of students for this event.”
The organizers – GLSEN Collier – say that the event is a “one-day conference” that is “created by and for LGBTQ youth seeking to explore LGBTQ-related issues they face today.”
The church is headed by Rev. Dawson B. Taylor, the Senior Minister. Their website says that Dawson became Senior Minister in 2016 and that he holds a B.A. in Political Science.
Last month, Dawson was caught trying to host a gay prom for children at his church.
Dawson describes himself as a “progressive pastor.” In his Twitter bio, he includes “#BLM” in reference to the activist organization involved in mass political rioting in 2020.
The pastor also says that he “stand with Planned Parenthood,” an organization that actively promotes the termination of unborn children’s lives, in contrast to pro-life Christians.
In a February 24, 2022 Tweet, Dawson exclaimed that “We are all Ukraine. We are all Transgender young people.”
“We are all women who need access to healthcare without government interference. Let us pray especially for those oppressed by bullies with power.” His account has garnered backlash from conservatives.
Lucas Miles, author of The Christian Left and well-known Christian personality, told FLV that the Christian church “should be leading the way to protect young minds from explicit materials and behaviors, definitely not approving of them, or God forbid, hosting an inappropriate event that appears to have been planned without the knowledge of parents—or even the school.”
“This isn’t about politics or policy anymore. It’s a battle for retaining basic moral truths and protecting a vulnerable generation of young persons from being groomed and indoctrinated by corrupt thinkers and damaging ideologies,” he continued.
********************
Christian Minister Planned to Host Secret ‘Gay Prom’ for Students, District Says Investigation Underway
By Eric Daugherty
April 25, 2022 Updated 12:23 P.M. ETNAPLES (FLV) – A pastor in Naples, Florida, planned to host a gay prom for children organized behind the back of administrators at Barron Collier High School.
After it was reported that a teacher at the high school planned a “gay prom” for students at a nearby church, the district said that the promotion flyer was taken down and an investigation is underway.
“The poster was placed without approval of the school administration, and it was promptly removed,” the district told FLV, saying that the prom was “neither organized nor endorsed by Barron Collier High or Collier County Public Schools.”
The Naples United Church of Christ is headed by Rev. Dawson B. Taylor, the Senior Minister. Their website says that Dawson became Senior Minister in 2016 and that he holds a B.A. in Political Science.
Dawson describes himself as a “progressive pastor.” In his Twitter bio, he includes “#BLM” in reference to the activist organization involved in mass political rioting in 2020.
The pastor also says that he “stand with Planned Parenthood,” an organization that actively promotes the termination of unborn children’s lives, in contrast to pro-life Christians.
In a February 24, 2022 Tweet, Dawson exclaimed that “We are all Ukraine. We are all Transgender young people.”
“We are all women who need access to healthcare without government interference. Let us pray especially for those oppressed by bullies with power.” His account has garnered backlash from conservatives.
FLV reached out to the church where the event on Saturday, April 30, was supposed to take place and did not receive a response from Dawson or the church. They were given several days to respond. Dawson blocked FLV Founder and Editor-in-Chief Brendon Leslie after he criticized the pastor for hosting a gay prom for children “in secret.”
Lucas Miles, author of The Christian Left and well-known Christian personality, told FLV that the Christian church “should be leading the way to protect young minds from explicit materials and behaviors, definitely not approving of them, or God forbid, hosting an inappropriate event that appears to have been planned without the knowledge of parents—or even the school.”
“This isn’t about politics or policy anymore. It’s a battle for retaining basic moral truths and protecting a vulnerable generation of young persons from being groomed and indoctrinated by corrupt thinkers and damaging ideologies,” he continued.
The teacher who planned the event is the same teacher who taught students about the controversial “genderbread person,” students told FLV.
LGBTQ+ event for teens Saturday at Naples church drawing worldwide attention
Harriet Howard Heithaus, Naples Daily News
May 20, 2022·5 min read
A teen pride event at a Naples church Saturday that includes a drag show is drawing attention.
The London-based tabloid Daily Mail, the Washington Examiner and Florida's Voice, a Southwest Florida media outlet, are among those who have reported on the Youth Pride Conference for LGBTQ+ teens Saturday at Naples United Church of Christ.
The kerfuffle is over a conference that its organizers say is meant to educate youth from sixth to 12th grade on issues facing them.
Issues that will be addressed range from "LGBTQ mental health issues facing students, inclusive sex education, since they aren't provided with that in school, lots of different topics that are important for these kids," said Daniel Selvey Shaw, representative for GLSEN Collier County, a support organization for LGBTQ+ students.
Although the title originally stood for Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, the organization now goes simply by its acronym, GLSEN, pronounced "glisten."
The Rev. Dr. David Greenhaw, retired president of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, is interim pastor at Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road.
He and Shaw answered questions about Saturday's gathering:
Naples Daily News: Was the departure of the previous pastor, the Rev. Dawson Taylor, Ph.D., at Naples United Church of Christ, on May 15 the result of a furor over the upcoming conference?
Church and GLSEN: No, said Greenhaw, who said he was talked into making himself "a failure at retirement" months ago as Taylor's temporary replacement.
"I got a call from a longtime friend and board member who's a member of the church in late February saying their minister was going to be leaving at the end of May after being on staff for eight years, six years as senior minister," Greenshaw said. "It was a choice that he made to leave. He wasn't fired or anything like that.
"His process in deciding to leave has absolutely nothing, nothing, nothing to do with the GLSEN group. That is pure rumor."
The actual reason Taylor chose to leave this year is something best shared by him, Greenhaw said, but added, "If I were to say one thing it's been extremely difficult on clergy to lead congregations during the pandemic. The stress on clergy has been everywhere. It's been hard."
His observation aligns with a recent study by the Barna Group, which specializes in studying faith and culture issues. Among the pastors interviewed, 38 percent had considered quitting the ministry in 2021.
The Daily News was not able to reach Taylor for a comment, however.
NDN: Why is the church sponsoring this conference?
Church and GLSEN: It's not. The GLSEN Youth Pride Conference is sponsored by that organization.
"We lease the space. We paid for the personnel. While the church absolutely supports the mission of our organization, they are simply facilitators by reason of the rental agreement we've entered into," Shaw said.
"We don't have reason at the moment not to trust them to continue what appears to be good work in the community," Greenhaw said.
NDN: The drag show?
Church and GLSEN: "It's no different than what you'd find at a local Naples Pride or Fort Myers Pride or Cape Coral Pride event that families are at all the time. I take my 3- and 4-year-old sons to these because they're fun and entertaining," Shaw said. "They're making it sound like a drag show that is this big taboo show."
The entire event has been planned with students, he said.
"These kids need it, especially now that they're trying to force any queer-related issues out of the schools, as if they're 'less than.' Trying to make them feel more excluded. Scaring them to come out. Trying to keep teachers from offering safe spaces," Shaw said. "Nobody's really supporting these kids and they're being left in the dust."
Greenhaw said that from its perspective, the church has never had a problem with events GLSEN has held on its property,
"It wouldn't be something I would do, but then I didn't put the program together."
That said, Greenhaw reaffirmed the church's theology as an inclusive one.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw even became involved, responding on Twitter to a question about how a church is holding a drag show for middle schoolers.
"The church leadership is organizing it. It's a 'progressive church.' So I would suggest you ask @dawsonbtaylor," Pushaw tweeted May 12.
Conservative media outlets have especially focused on whether Collier County Public Schools would be busing students to the event.
NDN: Are or were Collier County Public Schools providing support for the conference?
Church and GLSEN: No, they never were, according to Shaw. News media contacted the school district about the original form, which designated two schools as pickup points for students who need transportation, and an official e-mailed the group telling them to change their form.
"I spoke with the school districts and informed them we never planned on being on the school campuses," Shaw said. "But because these are students and a school is a focal central landmark, we were using the front of the school as a pickup point.
"We never planned to be on campus. We know we're not supposed to do that."
The negative publicity has been frustrating, Shaw said.
"We've had a dream of doing this since we founded the local GLSEN chapter in Collier County five or six years ago," he said. "But there's not been a time in the last few years when it's been more important."
Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.
