These are the ads, in billboard form:
Can you handle the truth? We can. Tell us what you think below!
The Truth
Citizens Project
Creating a community valuing diversity, equality and religious freedom
Can you handle the truth? We can. Tell us what you think below!
I am a Christian who supports gay rights. The majority of my friends, Christian and not, support gay rights as well. I can appreciate what you are trying to do with these ads but I don’t appreciate the over generalization of Colorado Springs. Perhaps the ads would be better served if they focused directly on gay rights and diversity as opposed to the generalization of certain opinions in Colorado Springs. Specifically the signs that start with ‘Colorado Springs doesn’t like/tolerate’ ignores all the voices out there in Colorado Springs that DO support those things.
I agree with the idea that we should all get along and be respectful. As a Christian, I am responsible for my own actions and should try not to judge others as they will have to answer to someone much more important than me some day. Howerever, I agree with Catherine that the only reason I could see you generalizing all of Colorado Springs would be for dramatizing effect. In order to be more accurate and honest, you should be more specific and leave out all of us that generally SUPPORT your cause as if we’re part of the problem.
Thanks for promoting Diversity and dialogue. I’ve felt alone a lot of times in my views and thoughts in Colorado Springs. Its nice to know there are others out there.
I see nothing wrong with the signs, and think it’s ridiculous that city transit won’t allow the signs on buses, especially since they’ve allowed signs from religious groups (religious bias, anyone?). As a CP member from the very beginning, I am concerned that both city transits actions, and some of the billboards from CP continue to propagate the (mis)conception that Colorado Springs is a closed-minded town. While SOME religious groups with very big voices continue to promote their anti-diversity, anti-gay propaganda, I believe that by and large, the average citizen has more moderate, “live and let live” views. I’m not sure that CP is doing the city any favors with some of the billboards, and certainly think it could’ve gotten it’s point across with less negativity.
You can’t fight city hall??? Guess you can’t fight the churches or the city council either. I like the campaign. We must fight for equality.
Yeah CP !!!
Give em hell. (or is that too controversial?)
I do not think the message is clear. Pete
P.S. You might be interested in the book “How to be Secular”, if you have not already read it.
Keep up the good work. A sign should make the reader work/think/examine the issues and his/her attitudes about those issues. We appreciate Citizens Project and have since its inception years ago when we lived in Colorado Springs. The city (and some of our T party friends) will always resist the diversity message of equality, including the diversity of thought!
C. Hauser, MD, Santa Fe
Our little town needs to grow up! When will people wake up? When we who care about our environment and diversity be the MAJORITY!?
Please, please, please keep up the fight. These people are after our “souls”
should we happen to have one.
You are in the right though. Thanks for your persistence, guts and brains.
sharon b
It has always been clear to me that there should be separation of church and state. I wonder how that simple concept gets so twisted. Also, all people are created equal and how that concept gets so twisted also baffles me. Keep going, Citizens Project. It’s a tough fight in Colorado Springs and El Paso county.
Your billboards are wonderful!
The easy thing to do would be to simply ignore the (often unconscionable) things that go on in our community. Citizens Project should be congratulated for taking a stand and making people think about these things. Nothing will ever change if people don’t stop and think.
Bravo, and keep up the good work!
That the city won’t allow ads on bus shelters is disturbing. Since when does the city have the right to endorse or oppose political ads? Perhaps having a so-called “strong mayor” has been a step toward fascist dictatorship.
Wow, those are AWESOME! What Sharon said.
I dig the purposeful dichotomy with socially-loud words hinging them together. So thought provoking. Any confusion is a means to thoughtfulness.
I keep plotting my escape from this city that is living in the 1950s–or earlier. Found a story in The Gazette about fewer people moving to El Paso County very interesting. Maybe the truth about Colo Spgs is finally having an impact. Keep up the great work!
I’m not giving my full name because my son and daughter may not want everyone to know who we are. I must first commend you on your efforts to promote diversity in Colorado Springs. You are doing wonderful and important work! I will, however, let you know what happened recently after my kids saw one of these billboards (the middle one, above). They were at first very disturbed by them. Since we were just driving by, they didn’t really have time to digest what they were seeing. Their initial thought was that the sign was derogatory. After we passed by again and I was able to see the sign (I hadn’t the first time through), I explained what CP was trying to accomplish. They were happy with the aim, but thought the execution could use some work. The younger set isn’t exactly familiar with Wheel of Fortune references!
Being a trans person and a bisexual person (respectively), they are frequently exposed to negativity, and are pretty sensitive to it. Living in Colorado Springs, they sort of expect anything in a public space to be against people like them (imagine that!), so I think you can see how this came about. I don’t think the signs are bad, per se, but thought you might consider the effect they could have on younger people who might see them when nobody is around to explain the intent. They’re pretty smart kids generally, but as I said, something like this tends to hit them in the hind brain, so to speak, where the thinking processes don’t take place. Just a bit of food for thought. 
The First Amendment of our beloved Constitution guarantees all of us freedom of expression–the right to express our views and the right to hear the views of others expressed. It also guarantees us both freedom OF religion and freedom FROM religion. And that’s the truth. I think we all can handle the truth.
You folks are so right on the money. I was raised in this area, joined the Navy in 1956, and was essentially gone until the of 1994. I was in Mass. when that anti-gay legislation was passed, and Colorado was the laughing stock of the entire nation. What I’ve never understood are all these supposed Christians who are homophobic. I think they’re hypocrites. Please keep up the good work.
Love them! Please put them Everywhere!!!!!!
Thanks for the great feedback, everyone! Keep it coming!!
Great feedback! Thanks, everyone! Keep it coming!
Love all the signs…but what I don’t understand is Christians say we are “made in the image of god” so doesn’t that mean god is gay too? Just saying! Born and raised an Atheist, happy to see separation of church and state still matters. Thanks and keep up the good work!