So I'm a good volunteering doobie hoot hoot. We worked for Planned Parenthood's annual Noche Latina, which supports preventative education and free healthcare for local latinas. Lovely! I'm a fan. Joya and I were in charge of raffle/auction donations, and our favorite local govt sponsor was Congressman Ed Pastor - a great event.

Seeing the protestors wasn't really a shock (although I don't recall them last year, must have been tipsy by then) - but since the event was on the edge of town where you still smell cow poopoo, I was a bit surprised they showed. Well, I went out to say Hullo, because naturally, I had to take some pictures. And provide some light-hearted mockery from the safety of the Private Property boundary line

Too bad they weren't standing on the corner. You know, where cars were actually passing by. And could see them. Then again, too bad they didn't have people to hold their signs.

Of my favorite slogans:
-Planned Parenthood s Dead Babies
-Ed Pastor - Are You Catholic?
-Planned Parenthood is Demonic
-Ed Pastor - Are You Helping to Kill Hispanic Babies?

We sighed in between giggles. Ugh. One of them even asked if we were SERVING DEAD BABIES FOR DINNER. If they wanted leftovers all the had to do was ASK, I replied. Tee hee. So witty.

Then one of them took a picture of me. Which was less amusing.

Mister Alex is part of the family that owns the Historic Ranch-cum-rodeo grounds-cum-festival venue that was to be our setting for tonight. Quite a lovely property. As I thanked him for helping us with the event, he informed me that the Catholic diocese had been threatening to move a Christmas Luminarias event they've held at the Ranch for over 35 years because his family wouldn't dump our fundraiser. Acquiescence would have been more profitable and trouble-free, so we were quite thrilled that they kept us. Something about not appreciating the church dictating such things, especially in a time when they could stand to hop off their high horsies and fix some stuff down on the ground where the rest of us are escaping recycled fondler priests.

ANYHOO. The VIP reception was about to begin. The bar was open, which is the most important facet of a successful fundraiser - generosity grows in direct proportion to drinks drunk.

And then we lost power. The lights went out. Hmmmm. Mister Alex was running around frantically in the dark, and soon he deduced that it wasn't a problem with the electric service. Say it with me: HMMMMM.

No matter. We were having a good time. Candles soon appeared around the bar (aforementioned importance of such a function evidenced here). The latin band was playing acoustically somewhere. More candles popped up everywhere! Yay!

Eventually the lights popped back on and people continued eating and drinking and dancing and winning prizes and it was a successful night. Woohoo.

SIDENOTE:

This article ran in the Arizona Republic a few weeks after our fundraiser (the last 2 paragraphs are fucking great):

"Casting first stone becomes a new tactic for diocese"
Dec. 15, 2005 12:00 AM
by EJ Montini

It may have been the first time that an official with the Phoenix Catholic Diocese implied that a long-time local non-profit organization was in the business of ethnic cleansing.

It happened Monday. A television reporter from Channel 12 was following up on a story from the previous day's Arizona Republic.

The article described how the diocese prevented a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe from taking place at Corona Ranch, where such a service had been held every Dec. 12 for many years.

Rev. David Sanfilippo, the vicar general of the diocese, told the Republic that hosting a Mass at the Phoenix facility would be "highly inappropriate" because the venue had hosted an event sponsored by Planned Parenthood, an abortion provider.

The event that offended the diocese had been aimed at curtailing the state's skyrocketing rates for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, particularly among young Latinos. Arizona ranks second in the nation for teen pregnancies, and Latina girls are said to account for more than half that number. Still, the diocese said that a Mass could not be performed.

On Monday, when asked by a television reporter about the church's position, Rev. Sanfilippo expanded on what he'd told The Republic. He said, "From its very beginning Planned Parenthood has sought to reduce the number, the population, within minority communities. And the Hispanic community is just their newest target."

Planned Parenthood's Melissa Schiffman told me, "That's just ridiculous."

One might expect a clergyman schooled in the Bible to understand the pitfalls of casting the first stone.

We're not talking about forced sterilizations, after all, but education. And we're not talking about a decades-old argument involving the politics of Margaret Sanger, founder of the organization that became Planned Parenthood, but about a local non-profit organization co-founded by Peggy Goldwater, wife of former Sen. Barry Goldwater. Would anyone seriously suggest that the Goldwaters were "targeting" an ethnic group for reduction?

I asked Rev. Sanfilippo about this via e-mail. He responded, "I am sure you are correct in assuming that there are those who support the work of Planned Parenthood who sincerely believe that their work is helpful in addressing the alarming statistics you mention. But the services offered by Planned Parenthood are not limited to HIV testing. Their solution to 'unwanted' pregnancies is often abortion."

As for the cancellation of the Mass, he wrote, "The Diocese of Phoenix does not have a policy regarding facilities that have been used by Planned Parenthood.

The issue is not so much the facility as it is who was sponsoring the event in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mr. Corona sponsored and was on the host committee for a fund-raising event for Planned Parenthood on Nov. 18 and has publicly indicated his support for their services. He also requested a private Mass at his ranch in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Considering that Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the pro-life movement, it was decided not to accept his invitation."