The Danger Presented Itself:
How the City of El Monte Rose Up Against an Anti-LGBTQ+ Pastor
Protesters gather outside and caravan by First Works Baptist Church, where pastor Bruce Mejia preaches hate, misogyny, homophobia, and more. Photo Credit @giggle_snaps
By Jessica Delgado Getting up in full drag with a fiery red wig and pink dress on a Saturday, Phillip Hurt is the only drag activist out on the streets of El Monte. In addition to looking pretty, Hurt fully embodies the spirit of queer resistance. When it came time to face any forms of any intolerance in the city of El Monte that was exacerbated by the presence of a new pastor, Hurt recounts, “The protest I did was not just with him, but anyone in the community who didn’t want to support womxn, queer, Black and trans people”. Tensions between the El Monte community and an anti-LGBTQPIA+ church sparked when a viral TikTok created by Hurt, an El Monte local, drag artist and activist, spread across multiple social platforms. This content shed light on the multiple conservative preachings of Bruce Mejia, head pastor at the California Chapter of First Works Baptist Church (FWBC). While the church seemingly sprang out of nowhere, the FWBC previously resided in Maywood. Activists like Hurt have kept their eye on the FWBC after the church’s move into El Monte, especially after their investigative findings on Mejia’s previous preachings encouraging the death of LGBTQPIA+ people; Mejia’s personal connection to the head preacher of FWBC; condemning womxn who work; and speaking against the Black Lives Matter Movement. In 2020, the FWBC was listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for spewing hate speech against the LGBTQPIA+ community. Through his sermons, Mejia has developed a reputation for his hate speech against womxn, LGBTQPIA+ communities and trans and gender nonconforming folks. But his ideologies are not his alone. Mejia was once under the mentorship of Pastor Steven Anderson, who has previously praised the occurrence of the 2016 massacre in Orlando, in which many LGBTQPIA+ folks were killed at the Pulse Nightclub. According to Hurt, Mejia carried on similar rhetoric by referring to the more commonly used LGBTQ+ acronym as, “Let God Burn Them Quickly,” and
constantly referring to queer folks as sodomites and pedophiles. Yet, this rhetoric did not stop activists like Hurt from coming to the forefront. Hurt’s exposure to the FWBC and eventual activism against their messages came as they were scrolling through Facebook pages related to El Monte. As an activist, it was important that they stay as up to date with their hometown as possible because of their “Natural chola instincts and punk aggression.” Having been born and raised in El Monte, Hurt’s passion for keeping the city inclusive is not surprising. Years prior to their activism, Hurt was involved in the church that sat where the FWBC once did, because of their mother brought them along to volunteer While Hurt no longer considers themselves to be religious, they still recount how the previous church was dedicated to being as supportive for anyone who walked through their doors as possible. When the FWBC overtook the location on the corner of Tyler Ave and Elliott, Hurt reflects, “What breaks my heart is that the church before… was like a little haven for previous addicts... the homeless y todo, and they even had AA meetings at one point. And to know that church disappeared and this one took over really broke my heart, especially with the hate this man is bringing.” As a queer femme, Hurt was also concerned about Mejia’s messages about womxn and other femmes involved with the Black Lives Matter and trans rights movements: “When I started looking at his videos, [he’s] not only attacking the gays… he also targets women. He’s known to have said that if women work, women are whores and women are basically weak…”, Hurt says, recalling watching Mejia’s sermons. For Hurt and many other LGBTQPIA+, womxn, Black and trans rights activists, it was imperative to keep safe the city of El Monte and all other cities that may house another FWBC church. To achieve this, Hurt coacted with other activists and members of the community to establish the “Keep El Monte Friendly” collaborative. These El Monte youth were the main force behind the protests against the church. In solidarity, Hurt attended the caravan protest that took place between Tyler Street and Elliott Ave. on Jan. 17, organized by the Keep El Monte Friendly collective. Hurt showed up adorned in full drag— a statement that made it clear that when it came to El Monte, hate of any kind was not permitted especially, “Not my f**s and my femmes.”
“The protest I did was not just with him, but anyone in the community who didn’t want to support womxn, queer, Black and trans people” Obtained by Phillip Hurt Instagram Account: @theoff_queer_ Photo by @theanthonycarrillo
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