...And All the Gods Wept
This 52" x 60" quilt was a response to the Art-Quilt challenge "The 8th Deadly Sin," in which we were to examine
our individual ideas of what should be the 8th Deadly Sin. I chose intolerance. I am often shocked - and always
bewildered - by those who are rabidly anti-gay...especially when the reason
for their mean-spiritedness is explained as being religiously faithful.

Frankly, I hope I am never able to understand it.

There are gods of many religions depicted - Christian, Buddist, Shinto, Hindu, Greek and Roman gods, pagan dieties - and a few good ole American gods and goddesses (James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Glinda the Good Witch...)Each of the gods and goddesses has a crystal 'tear' at their eye.

They are all looking towards the red 'flaming' area - where there are photographs of some of the anti-gay demonstrators that were - in my opinion - beyond the pale. One man holds a sign that screams, "Gay? God Abhors You" ... another one states emphatically, "Fags Die - God Laughs." The hatred and anger in the eyes of these people startle me - and make me realize just how divided our country is. Over something as simple as who people fall in love with.

Some of the stories related on the quilt:

Calling himself a “Christian soldier,” good loving Christian shot and murdered Danny Overstreet and wounded 6 others, when he opened fire because he was ‘looking to waste some faggots.”

Three good loving Christians beat J.R.Warren to death because he was gay, and then ran over the
man’s corpse with a car to make it look like a hit and run.

PFC Barry Winchell was beaten to death by good loving Christian fellow service men
while he was sleeping because they suspected he was gay at Fort Campbell, KY. Not that it
makes the story any worse - but he wasn't gay.

Two good loving Christians bludgeoned to death Billy Jack Gaither because he was
gay and then set the corpse on fire with automobile tires (Sylacauga, AL).

Bill Clayton (17 years old) was beaten by three good loving Christians and left for dead.
He survived the assault, but commited suicide the next day because he “didn’t want to be murdered,”
so he “took his (my) own life.”

Tyra Hunter (Wash.,DC) was beaten and left for dead by two good loving Christians because she was gay.
She died after DC fire department emergency medical personnel called her epithets and refused
to render treatment because she was gay.

Matthew Shepard was murdered in Laramie, WY by two good loving Christians who beat him with a pistol
until he was unconscious and then tied him to a fence in an isolated area for him to die.

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