Community Stands Against Anti-Gay Group

[iandhr]

Source: WCAX

An anti-gay group, based out of Kansas, plans to hold six separate protests in Montpelier and Burlington Tuesday. Fred Phelps and his followers from the so-called Westboro Baptist Church, plan to voice their opposition to gay marriage and the Jewish community. The group is widely known for its hateful demonstrations. Counter-protests are planned.

Monday night at the First Congregational Church in Burlington more than 5-hundred people attended a peaceful rally. They were there to celebrate differences and acknowledge their support Vermont's new gay marriage law.

"We are here to give a message, concrete tangible support to those who are the targets of these hateful messages," said Robert Lee of the 1st Congregational Church. "This community is united in its rejection of hatred and demonization of people with different points of view or lifestyles. That's clearly what we intend to communicate by us being together.

Some people are using the Kansas group's visit to raise money for non-profits that support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Read more: http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=11023673

[pattmarty]

1. What????????? "opposition to gay marriage AND the Jewish community"???

Is this ass hole and his "followers" all fucking suicidal??? It's almost as if they are going there looking for a violent confrontation.

[Raster]

4. phelps and his "followers" DO go looking for confrontation. That is their goal.

And by "followers" I mean his family. Almost all members of his "church" are family members--those that still have contact with phelps. Some of phelps relations have nothing to do with the man nor his church and have told many stories of the abuse that takes place within the phelps family and church. These are not well people. They feed on the worst of human fears and emotions. Their message is hate and anger.

[pattmarty]

9. I know who Phelps is. AND, I think he and his followers should be exterminated.

[carla]

12. God Hates Phelps!!!!

Certainly, if you count the numbers, a lot more than He supposedly hates "fags" (Sorry, for effect only.)

[iandhr]

5. they are

They protest around the country including at solders funerals saying the deaths of soldiers are god punishment on America for our tolerance for gays. They want to provoke a violent confentation so they have grounds for lawsuit.

[Posteritatis]

10. They'd love nothing more

Almost every male member of the congregation is a lawyer.

These days they're basically opposed to everything; they started a few incidents over the last few years over threats to kill members of the Canadian and Swedish governments.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Thank you, First Congregational of Burlington

thanks for standing up!

[closeupready]

3. Good on you, Burlington! Such a beautiful town - naturally AND socially!

:hi:

[Tempest]

6. I was just there last month

I fell in love with it immediately and plan to move there so I can be closer to my mom.

[gilpo]

7. I'd really like to know where this group gets its money.

All this travelling around to "protest" takes lots of money. Who funds them?

[Posteritatis]

11. Most of the male members are fairly well-off lawyers. (nt)

[No Elephants]

8. Gotta love Lee and people like him (even though he used "lifestyle").