This weekend the Brady Street Festival brought out a huge crowd and in gorgeous weather, it was great to walk among them.

Our main event was the drag show on Saturday night. Friends of friends were top performers and I was dismayed to learn that what we thought was "early enough" turned out to be "just in time for standing way in the back" for seating.

I was thrilled it drew such a crowd though, and the performances were great--young and old in the audience danced and sang along.

What I liked most, however, was WHO many people danced and sang with.

Prior to the opening act, protestors emerged within the crowd, carrying signs proclaiming their beliefs and opinions. Of course, we were all eager to read the signs and jokes went up throughout the crowd "Oh! According to this, we're gonna burn in hell!" The crowd was pleasant enough--annoyed at the protestors, but in general, their quips back to them were fairly innocuous.

Then, we noticed two other protestors among them--protesting the protestors. One held a large pole with blue fabric draped across it and it served as a shade that covered the sign that condemned us all to hell. The other carried a typical mat board protest sign--with nothing written on it.

The two men used their empty protest vessels to walk silently near those with the boisterious condemning comments and covered their signs so their message wasn't seen as easily.

It was a clever intervention and well within the rights everyone screams about exercising in such circumstances.

Then, when Diana Ross' mirror image took the stage and performed well-known tunes, the crowd meandered to the back and began singing and dancing around the protestors. Smiling, laughing, enjoying themselves, not touching anyone, not harming a soul... they responded to the "opinions" they disliked so much by simply having fun. Sharing the best part of the show--the music and dancing--in a harmless way.

Eventually, the steam of having protestors there wore off and their megaphone bullying was squelched by police.

Contemporary language theorist Judith Butler argues about hate speech that we often work to quiet it, when in fact, more speech may be the answer. Opening the floor to everyone having the chance to reason, to argue, to present information floods the field with options.

Sure, carry your protest sign that condemns me to hell for dancing, admiring beautiful men in women's clothing and enjoying it all, beer in hand.

But recognize that I'll carry my sign in the same space, in the same manner and thoughtfully positioned over yours in response. My rights are the same as yours. I liked that Saturday's crowd, without angry yelling or bullying tactics very handily made it known, two can play at that game.