Is it possible that Fred Phelps could turn out to be the best thing to happen in the gay equality movement since “Queer Eye?”
As strange as it sounds, his latest shennanigans could have the unintended consequence of actually creating sympathy (or something close to it) for gays and lesbians in places where they are least accepted: Deep in the heart of the Red states.
Like the reverends Don Wildmon, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and many others, Rev. Fred Phelps makes his living off of homosexuality. He is a professional homophobe. (Pam Spaulding refers to him as the The Rotting CryptkeeperTM.)
Now Fred and his evil spawn have taken to crashing funerals for U.S. service members who were killed in Iraq. They hit some funerals in the Midwest earlier this year but last week, they descended on a small town in Tennessee, and the locals didn’t like it at all:
Smyrna came out in force to support [the family of S/Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, a husband and father, who died in Iraq on Aug. 14]. Flags lined Lowry Street. Signs proclaiming both the love of God and the love of the people for Hawn’s family dotted the landscape. Passing motorist blared their horns and threw obscene gestures to the Westboro Baptist Church protesters.
“God only hates you!” one passing motorist yelled. Another car drove by shouting encouragement for the gay community.
One counter-protester said, “People like this are what’s wrong with America.” He carried a sign that read,”Don’t Follow the Ignorant.”
Being on the receiving end of virulent homophobic attacks must be a harsh new experience for folks in rural areas who (think they) have never met a gay person. It’s possible that the Phelpses’ outrageousness might personalize the gay experience to a small degree for some of these people who previously had an impersonal, objectified view of gays and lesbians – perhaps rendering them a notch or two more sympathetic for equal treatment.
If so, we’ll be the first to say: “Thank you, Rev. Rotting Cryptkeeper!”
To the founder of the fake Baptist church of Westoboro, Kansas how dare you do this to someone’s funeral and YOU ARE NOT THE ONE JUDGE PEOPLE THAT IS NOT YOUR PLACE AND GOD LOVES ALL HIS CHILDREN HE JUST DISAGREES WITH THE ACTIONS THAT WE MAKE. GOD DOES NOT HATE FAGS AND HE DOES NOT LAUGH WHEN GAYS DIE. I AM OPENLY GAY TEEN IN NORTHWEST INDIANA AND HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN A VERY STRONG CHRISTAIN FAMILY SO YOU CANNOT TELL PEOPLE THAT GOD HATES FAGS AND YOU ARE SINNING JUST LIKE WE ARE. A SIN IS A SIN DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE SIN IS ITS WRONG IN GOD’S EYES TO JUDGE PEOPLE AND YEAH ITS WRONG TO LAY WITH THE SAME SEX BUT FOR YOU TO SAY THAT GOD IS TELLING YOU TO GO A SOLDIER’S FUNERAL AND CAUSE SUCH A SCENE THAT THEIR FAMILY CAN’T EVEN MOURN FOR THEIR CHILD.
WELL I HAVE TO SAY BUT THEY ARE NOT WORDS CHRISTAINS USE
That photo was taken at Vanderbilt University during the 2002-2003 school year. Those guys were a couple of freshman with a brilliant idea.