News (USA)

Judge OKs anti-gay evangelist to distribute bibles at Minnesota pride event

Judge OKs anti-gay evangelist to distribute bibles at Minnesota pride event
Johnson

Anti-gay evangelist Brian Johnson roamed a Minneapolis park passing out bibles during Saturday’s Twin Cities Pride Festival after a federal judge ruled Friday that organizers could not ban him from the event to express his views against homosexuality.

Reports WCCO-TV:

“If somebody comes up and talks to us or asks for a Bible we’ll talk to them, if not, for the most part we don’t talk to them, because we’re here trying not to disturb anybody or anything or be disrespectful to anybody,” said Johnson.

But Pride Festival organizers say they’ve had complaints about Johnson’s anti-gay message. He was arrested at the event last year.

This year, festival organizers tried to get a temporary restraining order against him. Friday, a judge ruled Johnson had a First Amendment right to be there.

Johnson, 53, of Hayward, Wis., handed out bibles for 10 years as an official Pride vendor until organizers denied him vendor privileges in 2009. They said he espoused anti-gay messages and had been dishonest about his intentions.

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