Fred Phelps is coming to Greensboro....

[ctozrn]

I am from Greensboro, N.C. The very homophobic Fred Phelps is coming to this area. I was wondering if anyone from this area has any information about any GLBT groups that will be protesting against him and his hate filled message. He is the one that protested at Matthew Shepherd's funeral as well as others. I have never been the "protesting" kind, but I would hate for him to come to this area and stand by doing nothing....

Thanks!
Christine

[Rick336]

Christine,

I'm from Winston-Salem. I haven't heard anything about a group organized protest against Fred Phelps. When is he coming, where will he be, and why is he coming to Greensboro?

Rick

[Zerbie]

I wonder if it might not be better to ignore him altogether.

If the idea is so messed up, why validate it by engaging against it?

Give them the rope. They will hang themselves.

[BruceChris]

Better yet, what if Fred held a demonstration, and nobody came?
Zerb, I LIKE the idea

Or better yet, would it be possible to find a place where people would be
around, to put on a low key pro-gay demonstration? Someplace far enough from Fred so that he would not be able to put it together that something was going on until it was all over? Maybe alert someone from the news who
would be discrete, or have a friend with a cell phone who could call in case
Fred and co. caught on?

Find a way to make it clear that you will oppose him, but that you will NOT confront him, or allow him to engage in ugly behavior in your presence? What do you guys out there think? How to have a public profile, without
playing his game, or showing up to give him an audience? Ideas?

Peaceand Love, BruceChris

[tdogg]

What is he protesting this time? I have mixed feelings. The idea of ignoring him and his group completely sound good - if their is no reaction then his action is for nothing (he pretty much acts to obtain reactions). But, if there is no response then will he view it as a complete success which might give him even more incentive and steam? Not that he lacks incentive and steam! I see good reasons for either ignore or respond...

[awediot]

As much publicity Phelps seems to crave publicity, he is surprisingly chicken s**t sometimes...

I live about 40 miles from where Matt Shepherd was killed, had met him once and knew many of the counter-protesters at his funeral. They created large angel wings and stood between Phelps and the procession to block him out. This tactic is being repeated by motorcycle clubs driving between Phelps and the funerals of soldiers...

He seems to like my area and has been here three time since. First times in my home town, protest all ready to counter him based on his own press release, he showed up six hours early and stayed for less than an hour, making only an impact worthy of mocking. The second time, he dodged the protesters by grouping his little "church" blocks away from the event, basically in a residential side street where no one was... We were all dressed up and ticked off with no where to blow up...

Thats not to say he'll pull the same stunt, but it seems he does more damage to himself (and Christianity), than hurt us... He actually creates quite a bit of sympathy for homosexuality and a distancing shame amongst main-stream Christians. His cartoonish excess makes him a bit of an ally. We need to put that on a sign and march it...

[keltic63]

I checked his website once or twice for his schedule of protests. First of all, it seemed a bit impossible to keep the schedule. Then I noticed that neither he, nor his family showed up at most of the scheduled protests. Perhaps it is part of his shtick to get people all riled up about his appearances, then not show.

[Britt.]

I'm curious about what he's protesting there too. I wonder if half the reason these people do what they do is the possibility that someone will get physical, so he can sue, & martyr himself on television. Otherwise, that group comes off as a bit cultish. I say either ignore him, or do something similar to the angel wing thing to interfere w/ his hatemongering w/o hatemongering yourself.

[Zerbie]

Oh, exTREMEly cultish!!!!!

Is it true that the entire "church" membership consists of his own family relations? That suggests some horrifying kind of home life. (shudder)

He utterly feeds on reactions and negativity. Don't give him any more! Don't let them take your energy!

Depending upon WHAT he is protesting yes, ignore completely or take action to obscure him and his "flock" from sight. But you definitely do not need to engage in a confrontation, which he would LAP UP.

[NathanATX]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps

http://cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/specialsection.shtml

[Vanessa White]

Since Fred Phelps' most recent demonstrations have been at the funerals of fallen soldiers, is it possible that it is a funeral for a soldier, or memorial service going on locally, and that is why he is showing up?

[Rick336]

Here's the article from 365gay.com news site:

(Greensboro, North Carolina) When Southern Baptists meet next week in Greensboro, North Carolina for their annual convention they'll be met by a protest like they have never seen before - one accusing them of being too liberal - especially when it comes to gays.

The Southern Baptist Convention condemns homosexuality, denies gays the right to become pastors, and gives churches the right to refuse membership to gays. It also has been supportive of constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

Nevertheless, the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas are planning to picket the convention.

Phelps and his followers - mostly family members who have been described as a cult - are particularly angry that the denomination will honor the Rev. Billy Graham.

A statue to Graham will be unveiled at the convention, but Phelps calls the evangelist, who has ministered to presidents, a shill for gays.

"I told him we were going to picket his funeral when he dies, and he's not a well man," Phelps told the Greensboro News Record newspaper.

Graham has largely been silent on the issue of homosexuality. Last year, before he led his last crusade in New York City Graham was asked by the Associated Press about same-sex marriage.

"I don't give advice. I'm going to stay off these hot-button issues,'' was all he would say.

Phelps and his followers first gained national notoriety when they demonstrated at the funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man murdered in 1998. Since then they have protested at churches and schools the church says support gays.

Most recently Phelps had his church have demonstrated against homosexuality at the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq leading to a number of states banning demonstrations at funerals. Phelps claims the soldiers are being killed in retribution for America permitting homosexuality.

©365Gay.com 2006

To visit the 365Gay.com news web site click here: http://www.365Gay.com

[ctozrn]

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions everyone! I have been working a lot the past few days and have not had a chance to respond. Yes, he is coming for the Southern Baptist Convention. This strikes me as rather odd since we don't get a whole lot of support from that group! In this area they are pretty vocal against gays/lesbians. So it is pretty ironic that they are now being picketed for their support of us? Pretty funny if you ask me!

Christine

[Zerbie]

Un-freaking-believable!!!!!!!!!

I thought I'd seen everything with the soldier' funeral protests, but nope! There is always something crazier he dreams up! I should be livid, my mind says, but I am laughing and laughing right now.

Protest the SB convention for their pro-gay stance - oh my!!!!

I can't believe the viciousness telling Billy Graham he is going to protest his funeral when he dies.

What in the world happened to him when he was growing up? Or is it a medical condition?

[nowvoyager]

There was a suggestion about giving these people enough rope. And I think it's already happened - what he does now, protesting at soldier's funerals, even has Bill O'Reilly all riled up.

If you get even Fox Channel annoyed with you, you must have gone too far!

[dewdrop_world]

If he's protesting the Southern Baptists, then we don't need to give him any rope. He's already gone to the store, bought the rope, left the credit card on the counter, and tied the noose himself.

Something tells me it's no longer about ideology with him. Probably power (or compensating for a deep-seated feeling of powerlessness, which may also explain the history of abuse in his family). Or maybe it's just plain, undirected rage.

He may well end up protesting everything he can't control. That should keep him busy for awhile. Very sad.

James

[schoolboi]

This would be a great time to hand out copies of the great booklet Jamie put together: Souther Baptists May Not Say "God Hates Fags" but The Effect is the Same

I know we still have tons of them. I would be happy to bring them down to Greensboro to maybe pass them out before their main evening services. Anyone up for it. If so let me know and I will get it approve with the powers that be.

[Zerbie]

Originally Posted by dewdrop_world

If he's protesting the Southern Baptists, then we don't need to give him any rope. He's already gone to the store, bought the rope, left the credit card on the counter, and tied the noose himself.

Something tells me it's no longer about ideology with him. Probably power (or compensating for a deep-seated feeling of powerlessness, which may also explain the history of abuse in his family). Or maybe it's just plain, undirected rage.

He may well end up protesting everything he can't control. That should keep him busy for awhile. Very sad.

James

Well put James. VERY well put. Yes, leave them to their own devices - they have got the rope already.

I also like Schoolboi's suggestion. If I were closer, I would have liked to sign up.

[Emproph]

From “Every Minute Counts USA”

(A few excerpts from the article)

ANN ARBOR, MI - When the Reverend Fred Phelps came to town, the gay community here decided not to get mad. They decided to get rich.

When co-owner Keith Orr heard that his establishment was being targeted, he wanted to respond constructively. He and his partner, Martin Contreras, did not want to promote a counter-demonstration, feeling that Phelps gains the most attention – and hence is most effective – when he provokes anger and outrage from his opponents. Rather, Orr decided to use his Phelps visit to the community’s advantage.

In an email message to customers, supporters, and friends, he proposed that people pledge money to the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project (WRAP), a local gay advocacy group and community center, for every minute that Phelps picketed the bar.

“Normally a fundraising event of this magnitude takes months of planning and a lot of up-front costs. In 48 hours we raised over $6000 without spending a dime.

They varied in amount from as little as 10 cents per minute to as much as 5 dollars per minute. “The great thing about this kind of fundraiser is that no one is excluded. People can participate at any economic level,” said Orr.
-----------
Might want to pass it along to the areas he visits and the organizations/people involved. This could be applied in a lot of ways, not just Phelps. It makes a story in itself too.

Keith Orr’s info is on this site and there’s more on the bar’s web site.

[BruceChris]

Can you say "closet case"?