LIVE Blogging from Mid Missouri Pride

Hello from Stephens Lake Park in Columbia, MO!

We're enjoying a beautiful afternoon at Mid Missouri Pride Fest. We've been talking with people about Faith Aloud and handing out our fabulous new temporary tattoos. Our tent is right in front of the entertainment space so we had front row seats for the African dancing and the singers. I think the "Gayest Dog" competition is starting soon...I'll be sure to post pictures later.

We've met some really interesting people including a woman who does family planning for LGBTQ couples, a group of mid Missouri pagans, the PROMO organizer from Kansas City and the roller derby team from Columbia. The Boone County Health Department is doing free HPV and Hepatitis A and B vaccinations.

Stop by and see us if you're in town. If not, here's some pictures of the fun you're missing!

Still mourning Dr. Tiller's death

Hey readers,
Here are some pictures from the Vigil on monday. We are still dealing with the death of a great advocate for choice.

Memorial Vigil for Dr. TIller in St. Louis

A memorial vigil in honor of Dr. George Tiller will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church in Tower Grove on June 1 at 6:30 pm. We hope you can join us.

If you encounter protesters, please do not engage them physically or verbally.

Faith Aloud Mourns the Murder of Dr. George Tiller

Faith Aloud Mourns the Murder of Dr. George Tiller
May 31, 2009

Abortion Provider Dr. George Tiller was murdered by a gunman who shot him point-blank while he was ushering in services at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas. His wife, Jeanne, watched in horror from the choir loft.

The clergy and members of Faith Aloud mourn the loss of this courageous, dedicated, and religious man. He and his clinic had been the victim of violence many times before, yet he continued to provide women with desperately needed care. As one of the few providers in the country for third trimester abortions, Dr. Tiller served many women who had planned pregnancies that had gone wrong. He was deeply religious and his services to women and families at his clinic included the guidance of a chaplain.

"Dr. Tiller taught me so much about the spiritual concerns of his patients," said the Reverend Rebecca Turner, Executive Director of Faith Aloud. "He was a kind, compassionate man who respected women and listened to them. America cannot tolerate this kind of domestic terrorism. We must put an end to the hostile rhetoric that fuels this kind of violence. We must hold people accountable who bully women on the sidewalks of abortion clinics. There is nothing "pro-life" about murder and nothing "Christian" about the hatred that fuels it. My heart goes out to abortion providers all over our country who share in this tragedy."

Faith Aloud is an interfaith organization that supports women in all their decisions concerning problem pregnancies.

Michael Orlando Changes His Mind!

Today Faith Aloud received the following e-mail from Michael Orlando (see previous posts to catch up on the story). Thanks to everyone who wrote to Mr. Orlando opposing his decision to deny us service based on our political and religious beliefs.


Recently the Orlando family made a public statement that, due to our Pro Life beliefs we would no longer provide services to Planned Parenthood and Faith Aloud because their views did not agree with our family beliefs. Given the family dynamic of our business this decision was made from an emotional place without considering all of the consequences. We have since learned that this Pro Life stance has been considered by some to be an act of discrimination. That was never our intention. Orlando’s has never discriminated against anyone and has a reputation of generosity and fairness in our community. We would like continue supporting our community without discrimination to any organization regardless of their political or religious beliefs. We strongly believe in the values of diversity and equality that have made our country great. While we as a family uphold the values of our faith and will continue to be Pro Life, we will not inflict our beliefs on our customers. We will respectfully offer our catering and facilities to any organization that has an interest in using them despite our differences. We apologize to anyone we may have offended in our previous decision and look forward to serving our entire community equally.

Michael Orlando
General Manager
Orlando's Catering and Event Design
314-842-2877