The South Carolina Pride Movement 20th annual parade and festival in Columbia drew thousands of gays and lesbians and their supporters from around the state Saturday.

A parade began at the Statehouse and preceded down Main Street to Findlay Park. The front of the Statehouse was a picture of political diversity–the steps were draped in rainbow colored cloth, the symbol of the gay movement, as the confederate flag waved in the breeze out in front.

Symbols of cultural diversity at the SC Statehouse

But the event wasn’t without protesters.

Elder Ricky Smith was among a group of a few dozen church members from True Light Church in Spartanburg. Walker carried a sign reading “”The early church did not fear the sodomites.”

“We’re telling people to repent from being sodomites, from a wicked lifestyle, from being lesbians,” Smith said.   “It’s not bible.  It’s against nature.  And we’re also trying to impeach Obama, because he’s the one, who with the stroke of a pen, could eradicate this foolishness.”

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Senator Jim DeMint was one of the headliners in a “Tea Party Rally” at the West end of the Capitol complex in Washington DC this weekend.   View video of speech

He said, when introduced, “I think you all know that the president has warned us if we disagree with him, he is going to call us out. Ok, Mr. President, we are out. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Waterloo!”    Listen to MP3 DeMint’s opening comments at rally:33

That statement drew cheers from the crowd of ten of thousands. Many held signs supporting Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during the president’s speech to Congress. Groups of South Carolinians travelled to DC for the rally.

The rally was held by FreedomWorks, a Washington-based group led by former House majority leader Richard Armey (R-Texas), Tea Party Patriots and ResistNet.

The political hot water is still boiling for Second District Congressman Joe Wilson, who shouted, “you lie,” and gestured at President Barack Obama during the chief executive’s speech on health care reform before a joint session of Congress Wednesday night. Wilson disagreed with the president’s assertion that the present health care reform bills deny health care services for illegals.

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House are planning to vote early this week to admonish Wilson if he doesn’t apologize on the House floor for the outburst. Wilson says he apologized to the White House shortly after the speech and the White House accepted his apology. Appearing on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Wilson said that House Democrats are playing partisan politics.

“My view is it’s politics,” said Wilson, “This is playing politics, this is exactly what the American people do not want to see and do not want to hear. They want to get, as the White House has advised, lets get to the issues. Lets discuss the issues.” [Read more...]