Fred Phelps is an ass. A hateful, vile, waste of space. There, that’s as angry as I’ll be getting…hopefully. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church lunatics (mostly relatives of his) are planning on coming to San Diego within the week to spew forth their despicable ramblings, and thankfully San Diego folks are not going to let it take place without responding. Mind you, PEACEFUL responses, without engaging these imbeciles who have the audacity to even protest at funerals of military men and women. (Yes, I will be practicing restraint. Practice, practice, practice…)
There are some who feel giving Phelps ANY attention is feeding right into the notoriety he so obviously craves, but many of us don’t care to see his hate go unchecked and want to divert attention from him, and toward a more peaceful and positive message. Which way of responding is the correct one? Who knows. All I do know is that I’m sick and tired of seeing hate fill the airwaves, the media, and our lives, and I plan on doing my part to balance it out with positive actions. If you’d care to join us, just read the information below and sign up.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2009
Contact: Ben Cartwright877-727-5446 x707
ben@sdgln.comHale Media, Inc.
Publishers of San Diego Gay & Lesbian News ~ www.sdgln.com
(877) 727-5446
Follow us on Twitter | Become a fan on FacebookWestboro Baptist Church Announces 30 Protest Sites in San Diego
(SAN DIEGO) On October 5, the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) announced it will be protesting a total of 30 sites throughout San Diego County, a drastic increase from the six locations originally announced last weekend.
Founded in 1955 by controversial pastor Fred Phelps, the church is monitored as a hate group. Members of the congregation commonly protest against homosexuality, Judaism and Catholicism. The group is also anti-Swedish, anti-Irish, and often chastises the United States as being “a sodomite nation of flag-worshiping idolaters”.
Among groups who have been closely monitoring the WBC is the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all”, the ADL is the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agency, fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry. They believe the WBC is carrying on this campaign in the hopes of getting reaction from the Jewish community and to garner media attention.
“The purpose of every one of their events is to manipulate the media,” said ADL Regional Director Morris Casuto. “The WBC normally appears in a location to garner publicity for itself and its grotesque and disgusting message.”
While acknowledging the church’s actions may be offensive, the ADL is asking members of the Jewish community to respond by not responding.
“We are recommending for the Jewish community to pay them no mind. Give them their 30 minutes of useless disgusting protest and let them go back to their obscurity.”
Members of the gay community are taking a different approach.
“It truly is a sad day when the Phelps bandwagon comes to town,” said San Diego Pride Executive Director Ron de Harte. “San Diego Pride encourages those who want to stand up for love, peace and equality to register at http://nohate.sdgln.com. Organized counter demonstrations will overshadow this hate group’s message with a message of respect, freedom and equality for all people.”
Community activist Sara Beth Brooks, who has taken an active role in helping organize counter rallies, agrees.
“I think organizing peaceful opposition rallies are really important.” Brooks has taken an active role in helping organize those who have expressed an interest counter rallying the WBC protest at San Diego High School.”
The WBC will be protesting San Diego high school because they “think it’s sooooo cool to be fags”.
“We can’t allow this type of discrimination and hate to exist anywhere. We can’t just look the other way and allow Fred Phelps to come into our community and onto school grounds and tell students that God hates them.”
Brooks, who recognizes Phelps is a known “baiter” that oftentimes tries to get counter protesters to fight back, has been taking advance precautions to ensure that participants on both sides remain equanimus.
“I’ve been in contact with the San Diego Police Department as well as the San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice. Both police and peace officers will be monitoring the situation to ensure peace is maintained.”
She has also been corresponding with other faith based organizations to let them know their institutions may be targeted.
“What’s ironic is that while most of these institutions regularly disagree with the LGBT community on a lot of things pertaining to marriage equality and faith issues, they have been very receptive and thankful that we have reached out to them to let them know their place of worship is going to be protested. This has been an opportunity for us to make some inroads within the faith community.”
The main goal of the counter protests, she notes, is peaceful opposition.
“It is our goal to facilitate peaceful, positive protests that promote love and equality. It is our goal to promote values which are at the core of our community, and to let our message of love and equality to outshine the WBC’s message of hate.”
Leave it to Michael Moore to figure out a way to lend a helping hand, albeit one he admits really “ain’t much when what you really need is a job or a place to live”, by getting movie theaters in some of the nation’s hardest hit cities to offer a free screening of “Capitalism” tonight. Here’s the email Michael sent out this morning, with lists of free screenings AND benefit screenings included. Can’t wait to see the movie soon!
) have missed me being over here, but I feel like it’s that loyal friend you take for granted. Promise not to take you for granted dear WordPress, and will hopefully force myself to get on over here and spend some quality time with you, reliving some good times, venting about the political topics of the day, sharing some good tunes, and of course, of course, OF COURSE talking Chargers football! See ya.
This is one of those times where something so moves me (yes, tears in my eyes) that I head right over here and put forth my thoughts, not really caring if they make sense to anyone else, if there are typos, or what others think, but just feeling the intense need to put them out there.
Torch Relay. The LGBT community and our allies took the cause of equality to backyards in all 18 incorporated cities in San Diego County. 
***
…shame on you! I was driving down Jefferson in Carlsbad (CA), enjoying the blustery, gorgeous day with my poochie sticking his nose out the window, when I drive past a man playing catch with his child on the small grassy area in front of their apartment complex (between Las Flores and Laguna…Park Place Apartments?). No sooner than it takes for me to think what a Norman Rockwell type moment it was, than the man hits the child in the head, the child’s hat flies off, the child grabs his (or her) jaw and hits the ground, and the man looks up and down the street quickly. It took a moment for me to register what had just happened, with instant disgust overcoming me and complete concern for that child–and immediate anger at that man. Unfortunately I was in the middle of traffic, but at the next corner I turned my car around as fast as I could to head back (was only a matter of a few hundred feet) and they were gone.
(AP photo/Denis Poroy)
, I couldn’t help it! I know colonoscopies are icky – although it’s the prep more than anything so tonight you feel much worse than you will tomorrow.
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