Hate-spewing wingnut Phelps coming to my area

[rox63]

Article from the the local right-wing-rag of a newspaper. I think we can manage to put together a decent counter-protest. The fact that he's going to be spreading his hate in front of local school kids is pretty disturbing.

http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_2733877

Anti-gay group plans picket
Attacks Dracut school after student wins contest with Ellen DeGeneres essay
By DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY, Sun Staff

DRACUT -- A Kansas-based evangelical group plans to picket Englesby Intermediate School June 6 after a student won an essay contest writing about openly gay comedienne Ellen DeGeneres.

A flier from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka singles out a Women in History essay written by a 12-year-old student who chose DeGeneres as her subject. The invective-laden leaflet includes a photo of the Englesby School and a grotesque devil. The diatribe attacks the staff, labeling it a “homo-fascist regime,” among other things.

Acting Police Chief Kevin Richardson said he received a communication from Fred Phelps, pastor of the Kansas church, asking for information about securing the proper permits. Richardson recoiled when shown the flier, saying, “No, we didn't get this.”

<snip>

The Kansas church has also planned a demonstration on June 5 at Lexington High School's graduation at the Tsongas Arena. A separate flier from the church targets Lexington High School for having recognized such groups as the Gay-Straight Alliance Club.

[WildEyedLiberal]

1. OMG, straight to the heart of evil gay paradise Massachusetts

Doesn't he realize he'll be run out with pitchforks? At least I hope.

[TayTay]

2. One town over

My son's school is putting on The LAramie Project that weekend as well. Methinks a special performance is in order. LOL!

[whometense]

3. Isn't that the same creep

who came up here last year when the gay marriages started, to tell us we were going to hell? Him and his gang of pious Kansans(?) I love the way they think they have a right to tell us how to live.

[rox63]

4. I didn't know he'd invaded Mass before

He's the guy who showed up at Matthew Shepard's funeral with signs saying "God Hates Fags". He's a despicable waste of oxygen.

[whometense]

5. I'm not 100% sure it's the same guy.

Gonna go do a little digging, and I'll report back.

[whometense]

6. Ok, that was fast

http://www.lilithgallery.com/glowmaid/freedomofmarriage.html

The city of Cambridge, a liberal bastion that is home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, opened its doors to couples at midnight, and remained open until about 4:30 a.m. to accommodate the people who flocked there to make history.

The first couple to receive marriage paperwork was Marcia Hams, 56, and her partner, Susan Shepherd, 52, of Cambridge. After 27 years together, they sat at a table across from a city official shortly after midnight, filling out forms as their adult son looked on.

About 15 protesters, most from Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, stood near City Hall carrying signs. The group, led by Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., travels around the country protesting homosexuality.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/146/story_14607_1.html

There were scattered protests amid a largely festive atmosphere.

About 15 protesters, most from Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, stood near Cambridge City Hall carrying signs with anti-gay slogans Sunday night. The group, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., travels around the country protesting homosexuality.

But Ray McNulty, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Family Institute, one of the leading organizers of opposition to same-sex marriage, criticized some of the protesters, saying there was no need for hateful speech.

"What's going on down there is legal, and as far as I'm concerned, give those people their happiness for the day," McNulty said.

[elshiva]

7. UGH! "God wears a shirt that says, 'People Hate Fags.'" eom.

[Ian David]

8. See related threads

Latest Breaking News forum
Anti-gay group plans picket ("God Hates Fags" attacks Ellen essay)
Topic started by sonicx on May-13-05 05:00 PM (28 replies)
Last modified by IanDB1 on May-14-05 03:35 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1470630


General Discussion forum
Westboro Baptist Church picketing near me
Topic started by ByTheRiver on May-13-05 09:21 PM (27 replies)
Last modified by Telly Savalas on May-14-05 12:15 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3654296


Massachusetts forum
Lucky us! Fred Phelps is coming to Massachusetts June 5th + 6th
Topic started by IanDB1 on May-14-05 03:40 PM (0 replies)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=158&topic_id=4583


Call to action in Lowell
Topic started by Redstone on May-13-05 05:52 PM (3 replies)
Last modified by dddem on May-14-05 06:44 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=158&topic_id=4573

John Kerry Group forum
Hate-spewing wingnut Phelps coming to my area
Topic started by rox63 on May-13-05 11:25 PM (7 replies)
Last modified by elshiva on May-14-05 01:49 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=273&topic_id=27589

[Ian David]

9. If anyone here wants to discuss what to do about this, please PM me...

This includes people who are not from Massachusetts.

I have a plan.... Hmmmmmmm....

[whometense]

10. Okay. This is really creeping me out.

He's actually coming to my town. In fact, to the high school all of my children attended.

http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display/37029/index.php

Anti-Gay Activists Plan Demonstrations in Massachusetts
by Chip Littlefield
Email: Fodforaday (nospam) aol.com (unverified!) 19 May 2005
Modified: 11:11:35 PM
Fred Phelps, the infamous Pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, who gained notoriety for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepherd, is coming to Lowell, Lexington, Brookline and Dracut, Massachusetts to spread his message of hatred and intolerance toward homosexuals, and homosexual sympathizers.

On June 4th and 5th they will be at various Lexington churches with signs reading, “Fags Die, God Laughs,” “AIDS Cures Fags” and other hateful slogans.

Sunday, June 5th at 1:00 PM, they will be at Brookline High School, which they have dubbed a, “sodomite whorehouse and fag dating service masquerading as Brookline High School.” Also on Sunday, at 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM, they will be at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA, to protest Lexington High School’s graduation ceremonies.

On Monday, June 6th at 8:00 AM, they will demonstrate outside Joseph Estabrook School before moving on to the Lexington Public Schools administration office (1557 Massachusetts Ave.) at 9:00 AM. At 9:15 AM, they will also be at Englesby Intermediate School in Dracut. The reason for their appearance at Englesby is in response to an article a twelve-year-old girl wrote in a “women in history” report on comedian Ellen DeGeneres.

Phelps’ website (http://www.godhatesfags.com) says that it has chosen Massachusetts because it is a “Satanic Zeitgeist wherein filthy, militant fags and dykes have seized control of Massachusetts’ government, sending feces-eaters to congress, and homosexual marriage is law.”

Counter-demonstrations are already in the works for Lowell and Dracut, and organizers hope for a sizable turnout against the intolerant hate-speech of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. All who are opposed to Phelps’ presence and message are urged to attend and show him and his followers that Massachusetts won’t stand for antipathy toward our GLBT allies.

[TayTay]

11. Okay, I'll be at the Dracut and Lowell one

These people are nuts. The protests should actually be interesting. Even the Wingnuts in the area are writing into the Lowell Sun and saying, "These guys are nuts."

Silence - consent, so I'll be there.

[whometense]

12. It's embarrassing to admit

how much creepier it is when he's gonna be in your own back yard.

If he's picking Brookline, he's obviously hoping for a huge angry backlash to get some attention. He won't find any sympathizers here.

My son forwarded the article to me this morning. His comment: "I obviously didn't take full advantage of all the school had to offer when I was there."

[TayTay]

13. Here's what they are really pissed about

Gay Marriages according to town in Middlesex County:
City/Town Licenses
Acton 10
Andover 16
Arlington 56
Ayer 7
Bedford 5
Belmont 18
Billerica 6
Boxborough 2
Burlington 13
Carlisle 8
Chelmsford 13
Concord 17
Dracut 15
Dunstable 3
Groton 7
Harvard 5
Haverhill 11
Lawrence 11
Lexington 8
Littleton 3
Lowell 30
Medford 32
Methuen 22
North Andover 10
North Reading 5
Pepperell 1
Reading 6
Shirley 1
Stoneham 8
Tewksbury 10
Tyngsborough 3
Westford 6
Wilmington 3
Winchester 5
Woburn 9
Source: Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders

I think I will get a sign that says "Jesus told me to hate you" and stand near them. Maybe, WWJH: Who Would Jesus Hate?

[whometense]

14. Brookline's in Norfolk,

but I can imagine the numbers are WAY up there.

In other Brookline news, Explicit pamphlets displayed at school <Boston Globe>

And, "The Little Black Book - Queer in the 21st Century"

Sigh. Can't we all just get along?

[paulk]

15. these people are seriously fucked up

what more can be said?

We can only hope they are so far out on the fringe that they hurt their own cause.

song for the day:
http://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/iiharl.html

:mad: