Students and faculty at Fresno State have had enough
of spiritual violence being preached on their campus.
In response to the unwelcome intrusions of “hate

speech” preacher Anthony Munoz, a coalition of students,

faculty, and community members has been created.

The group counts gays, lesbians, straights, Christians,

and Muslims among its members.

Members took part in a “kiss-in” organized by

POWER—People Organized for Women’s Empowerment

and Representation—countering the preacher’s

messages of hate on the Lincoln’s Birthday holiday.

The “kiss-in” was in the Free Speech Area in front of the

Student Union.

Several hundred students gathered to teach Munoz

about love and tolerance, and to let him know he is not

welcome on the Fresno State campus. “Love is more

powerful than hate. His message means nothing to us,”

POWER president Michelle Verity Colvin said to the

crowd.

The crowd—gay and straight, Christian or otherwise—

came back with its message that the campus belonged

to them, not to Munoz.

Munoz did not make his usual Monday appearance. In

media interviews, he attempted to make himself look

like the victim, not the perpetrator. When interviewed

told him he is called a “hatemonger” by students. “I

feel misunderstood,” Munoz replied.

He told the media that he plans to stay away for a while

because of the “hate” exhibited toward him by students.

He claims he fears he will be harmed. He promises

they don’t like me, they can find other places to go.”

Munoz, who is pastor of the Pentecostal Souls Harbor

Holiness Church in Pinedale, has been preaching in the

Free Speech Area for several years. His message typically

includes: “Sodomy, it’s to DIE for” and signs promoting

the idea that AIDS is the ideal “cure” for homosexuality.

Munoz also rails against women, Muslims,

Catholics, and anyone else he thinks is sinful.

While most people try to ignore him, others are angered

by his message—even the vocal Christians. The

director of Campus Crusade for Christ recently said

Munoz and his group “are very insensitive to those

around them.”

The current crisis began last fall when Munoz returned

to campus, railing against queers, lewd behavior and

dress, abortion, fornication, and evolution. In a letter

very real conflict” between students and Munoz. She

said Munoz “creates a threatening and hostile learning

environment.”

“When we (women) are repeatedly and publicly called

whores because of the way we dress,” Colvin wrote,

“and when a visiting preacher is allowed to wear a

button on his shirt that says ‘AIDS: Homosexuals Contribution

To The World,’ it’s time for us to take a stand.

It’s time for us to take our campus back from these

hatemongers.”

As is their wont, Channel 30 Action News got the story

wrong. Their reportage made the issue to be 100 percent

about queers, and even dragged the Roeding Park

sex sting cases into the story. No mention of the fact

that straight students, Christian students, and Muslim

students all have had a bellyful of Munoz.

The coalition is considering several options: find ways

to get Munoz and his cohorts off campus, or find ways

to give voice to other perspectives. Group members

agree that the crisis could have a positive outcome, by

raising awareness on campus and creating coalitions

among the campus community.