Below is my column in today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.
After the death of Charlie Kirk, one of the owners of Burzurk Brewery posted to social media a past comment of his: when it comes to gun violence, Kirk once said, “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the second amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” She noted the irony, given that he himself died by gun violence. She also explained that she did not mourn him because she also rejected his racist and homophobic views, as well as his unapologetic support for unfettered access to guns—no matter the cost in human lives.
She followed up with an insistence that we have now moved beyond mere political differences to fundamental differences in morality. She pointed out how his rhetoric has led her to feel personally unsafe in her own country and community. Current politics have even allowed legal racial profiling of the Latinx community. She said she simply cannot “agree to disagree” anymore. She also stated that she was quite comfortable with a business that reflected her own standards—and that it was absolutely fine with her if Kirk supporters chose not to patronize her establishment.
In response, the vitriol and hatred of the far right were unleashed upon this small business owner. I will not even repeat some of the vile things said by people who supposedly claim to follow Jesus. A group of local Republicans, one of whom had already launched a profanity-laced attack at her, even made plans to protest her business. Hundreds of neighbors reached out to her in support, but because of her commitment to safety and her fear that violence might break out, she closed her brewery that night—losing significant income—in order to keep people safe. In response, the far-right crowd boasted that they had “shut her down” and even hung a Charlie Kirk shirt on a sign outside her door.
One person then claimed that she had said she didn’t want Christians at her brewery—and therein lies the heart and rot (and I do mean rot, not just root) of the problem. Those who support Charlie Kirk have conflated loyalty to a political figure (and one with incendiary far-right views at that) with what it means to be a Christian. Furthermore, they apparently assume that they are the only Christians—entirely ignoring the many Christians who did not support Kirk and who have always been welcomed at this brewery with open arms.
Around the same time, another local restaurant in the neighborhood, the Unicorn Tavern, came under fire for planning to host an 18+ drag brunch called Pancakes & Wigs. To be clear, the event was originally designed to be family friendly, and allowed parents to choose to purchase tickets for their own children. After talking to the drag troupe, several weeks before the event, everyone involved decided to limit ticket sales to 18+ and refund the tickets purchased by families for their under 18 family members. But even after that, the hatred and opposition were profound, extreme, and devoid of any humility or recognition of the values of free speech in our country.
Right-wing Christians who have long claimed that their only objection to drag shows is when children are present had their hypocrisy revealed as a bald-faced lie. Here was an adults-only event, exactly what they claimed to want—and yet it was still bombarded by hatred. The performers became so frightened for their safety that the event had to be postponed. The truth is obvious: it has nothing to do with protecting children (who, let us remember, are far more at risk from gun violence—the number one killer of children in our country—than they are from attending a family-friendly drag performance). No, this is about homophobia, transphobia, and the rejection of anyone who falls outside the cisgender, heterosexist norms of right-wing Christianity.
There are two things I want to say here.
First, I am embarrassed. Embarrassed that people who claim to follow Jesus can be so cruel and so quick to spew profanity-laced hatred. Embarrassed that they would threaten to try to deport someone who is a legal citizen. Embarrassed that they would attack a business that tried to do precisely what they had claimed they wanted when it came to drag performances.
I am particularly embarrassed because I know the owners of these businesses. They both pour out significant energy into nonprofit work on behalf of the poor and marginalized. Karen, one of the owners of Burzurk, serves on nonprofit boards and donates immense time and resources to charity work. Her husband left corporate life to try to build up a small business in a part of our city that needed revitalization.
The owners of the Unicorn Tavern consistently give away portions of their profits to a variety of causes—especially schools and educational needs. Garry is on the board of Walk the Beat and their family has also contributed to NORA and other West Michigan organizations that help those in need. They even have a food pantry outside their restaurant to serve the hungry.
Christians should be praising these businesses. Even if some Christians disagree with their views on sexuality, gender, or immigration, those same Christians (who supposedly cherish the Constitution more than the rest of us) should be first in line to defend free speech. Even if they lack the expansiveness of heart and humility of mind to be in genuine relationship with those who hold diverse views, they should at least be able to stand for freedom.
To be clear, my criticism is not about the protests in and of themselves (that is a part of free-speech). Rather, it is the irony in the right using their free speech to protest another person’s free speech. And that the speech of those on the right leading up to these protests was so extreme that the business owners feared for the safety of their supporters.
Second, conservatives and moderates must take a stand against these kinds of attacks. They must make clear that their more conservative views do not mean they condone this kind of racism, these attempts to erase the queer community, or these attacks on free speech and small businesses. Until they do, until conservatives and moderates clearly refuse to stand with those who would shut down small businesses simply because they disagree with their religious views, the entire witness of conservatism will continue to be lost to a whole generation. A generation that will not—and should not—abide this sort of hypocrisy.
And the same is true for conservative Christians. Though some Christians have acted in this hateful way, these individuals do not represent the totality of Christianity. But until faith leaders and everyday Christians who do believe in freedom and diversity of views stand up and repudiate this kind of hatred and vitriol, the witness of our faith will remain compromised. Christianity will continue to be confused with cruelty, and the gospel of Jesus will remain obscured by the ugliness of those who claim his name but deny his love.
The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, Tribune community columnist, serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Information about his parish can be found at www.sjegh.com.
