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Some of the store's patrons and others in the community responded immediately with a counter-protest, holding up signs in support of the gay community. One sign read: “Honk if you are gay and proud.”

Concerned about the impact a long-running protest might have on his business, and worried about the security of his customers, Rafshoon contacted the local police. Though the police were sympathetic, they told him the protest was a legal exercise of free speech, he said. But he was planning to get advice from members of the city council in case the protesters come back long-term.

"People come here to relax, find books, and drink coffee--not to be harassed by protestors,” he said.

The Buzz
Peter Glassman, owner of Books of Wonder in New York City, was quoted about the Outwrite picket in a recent issue of the online bookseller's publication Shelf Awareness.

”I was deeply disturbed to read about the protests being waged in front of Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse in Atlanta,” Glassman wrote. “It is clearly the intention of the protesters to intimidate would-be customers and so drive the store out of business.”

Though an isolated incident, Glassman pointed out that “this sort of thing can happen to any of us at any time.”

In another time, the targeting of a specific, independently owned business by Christian protesters might have made gays and lesbians cautious about wearing their sexuality on their sleeves. But in today's America, it took no time at all for an outpouring of support to manifest itself on the streets and in the online community.

Many in that same community have little doubt that the Outwrite protest is meant to intimidate gays and lesbians far beyond just one bookstore. Just as with each book banning or picketing of a gay event, the ultimate goal isn't just one specific target, but to send a message to all gays and lesbians, as well as their supporters. That message? You aren't welcome.

Hardly an isolated incident
Writer Brent Hartinger is concerned that people not look at this three-weekend protest as a single incident, but as part of a burgeoning effort by Christian activists to undermine gay rights and other progressive issues nationwide.

The 41-year-old author has personal experience with such protests. His books, Geography Club and Order of the Poison Oak, have been openly challenged or secretly banned in communities across the U.S. In these cases, Christian activists put enormous pressure on school boards, principals and libraries to weed out material they find objectionable.

Hartinger said he has also personally been told on the sly that his books--which deal with coming-of-age gay teen sexuality--would simply be unacceptable to the members of certain communities.

A group called plan2succeed has made a crusade out of trying to block children's access to pornography and obscene material in libraries, mainly through Internet blocking software, according to its Web site plan2succeed.org. These efforts have been fought by the American Civil Liberties Union and American Library Association because the definition of “obscene” and “pornography” can be ubiquitous and result in limited access to many legitimate Web sites, according to the ACLU online.

“I can tell you that they are very active,” Hartinger said. “The American Library Association compiles a list of banned or challenged books every year. A high percentage are gay-themed, and that percentage is growing.”

One high-profile author whose books have been continually challenged or banned is Judy Blume. Known for writing books about coming-of-age girls who experience menstruation, masturbation and teenage sexuality, Blume has received strong support in the literary community.

Hartinger says that while most librarians are very gay-supportive, that's less true of school administrators: "Books are pulled quietly, and no official complaint is ever made. Sometimes the mere fact that the book has gay content can get it removed.

“Nobody wants to confront these people directly. So they quietly acquiesce again and again.

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