Not long after it drummed up 15,000 "no" RSVPs -- about equal to the average daily attendance of the party -- the Facebook event page calling for the boycott of the Basilica Block Party has been taken down by its creator.

Jason Wermager launched the "Say NO to the Basilica Block Party" page last month to protest the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul's support of the proposed state amendment banning gay marriage. The page quickly took off and attracted media attention. In a statement he released to supporters, though, Wermager explained that he turned off the page because it was attracting "anti-gay rhetoric" and "hate speech." He wrote, "Many people have made comments that are hateful and unrelated to the event which have overshadowed the intelligent, positive discussion promoting gay marriage." Welcome to the internet, Jason.

It's not entirely clear if Wermager is calling off the call for the boycott. He has not responded to requests for further comment. What is clear is that he hopes the Basilica party can still be used to raise people's awareness about the issue, and he is directing attention on the matter to two organizations fighting the amendment: www.outfront.org and www.minnesotansunitedforallfamilies.com.

As it is, the block party is going on as planned next weekend without any noticeable dip in ticket sales. Concert promoter Sue McLean and some of the participating bands said they supported Wermager's intentions to draw attention to the amendment, but they believe picking on the block party itself was the wrong way to do it. Money raised from the event goes to the preservation of the historic Basilica of St. Mary and St. Vincent de Paul charities.