I'd love to be there... and I hope that the even draws lots of people, both gayfolk and straightfolk as well.

I say the heck with the law re: protesting near churches - especially since it is the Phelps' church itself whose conduct led to the law in the first place. Surround the church and drown them out with singing and celebration!

I for one am saving up so that I can make it to Phelp's funeral where I will indeed be carrying a sign that says "God Hates Bigotry". What a wonderful, fun day it will be!!

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I'm sure the organizers are sincere, but I can't see how this will help. Phelps is so odious that he has, thankfully, done huge damage to his "cause".

This just gives him more attention, and you can be certain that the disseminated images of marchers won't be of the boringly ordinary majority. It will be the ones that look the most interesting or freakish, or have the profane or anti-religious signs.

The more I think about it, this is exactly the photo-op that Phelps would want.

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Let's never take action where we might be mistaken for people with passion, with humor, who dare take risks, who dare to take a brave stand. This is why left/progressives/activists will continue to be marginal. We are too often part of the problem.
As little as I want to waste my time dealing with him, I feel if I don't then that sends a message of approval to he and the other, as virulent but less publicly jerky, homophobes. I can't let him further poison my world. I cannot stand by and watch him spread his hate unchallenged. Fred Phelps should present the easiest target imaginable for our outrage, our passion, our wild, anarchic humor, our love, our utter difference from him and his. But no, let's tiptoe around hoping that people will imagine an alternative to Fred and his merry band of haters. News flash: they mostly won't. Because no one has articulated or embodied an alternative. Ooh, he's homophobic. Uh huh. So is much of the country. Fred Phelps gives us a gift. He shows us exactly how hating makes the hater ugly, how the hater is diminished by his hate. He shows us exactly how so many boys who were beaten by their fathers end up replicating their father's hate even as they hate themselves for doing so. Freddie perfectly embodies what people without love look like. His sad, hate-filled life is no doubt familiar to many people. But without a cleverly articulated model, people just cringe or shrug or yawn or join in because "at least he (Freddie) stands for something."
I can't take complete responsibility for keeping Freddie from returning to Madison, Wisconsin (where I live) after his first visit 4-5 years ago. But I take some. How? Meet him where he is. Not try to match him rage for rage. Not try to match him hate for hate. Not to meet his rage and hate with fear and not wanting to offend. We met his sad, cruel hate with our ferocity, our silliness, our clarity and our love.
I made and carried several of these signs that day. Other people asked for and carried the rest.
These are a few of my signs:
1. Amo ergo sum (I love therefore I am)
2. Just 'cause you have one, doesn't mean you have to act like one
3. Forgive Your Father Fred
He hurt you, that was wrong
But all you have done is replicate his abuse
First beating your family, and now bashing gays.
Deal with the abuse your father perpetrated on you, Fred
4. How little love you must know, to envy others' so.
5. Why not focus your rage at all the clergy who sexually-assault children? Too close to home? Or are the rapists your allies and you provide a gay-hating smokescreen to protect them?
6. "It is a terrible, an inexorable law that one cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own: in the face of one's victim, one sees oneself." -James Baldwin
7. Christians: Unless you speak-up, this man speaks for you.
8. "More people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason. That, that my friends, that is true perversion!"-Harvey Milk
9. "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Fredrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
10. Fred Darling, you simply must move to Madison, there's so much delicious sin here to arouse you
11. Your Hate Defines You
12. But Fred, We Love You-Come Out Fred, it's safe
13. Gee Freddie- People are starting to wonder...just why do you keep going to gay towns?
14. Freddie...Remember that night of blissful love we spent together on your last visit? Are you still my "little snuggle bunny?"
I have others. He is inspiring.

If we don't confront him, we are part of the problem. If we only meet him on his terms we reinforce him and his. Use him as the ultimate teachable moment.
You get the idea (I hope).
Joe Weinberg

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Heh heh.

Well, It's better than what the Phelps virus has been getting lately. One of the vets they dishonored by harassing his family at his funeral happened to be a motorcycle enthusiast, and many of his friends have been following The Holy Family around.

When Phelps et al sets up the requisite number of yards away and starts shouting filth, the bikers back right up to them and give them the high revs and exhaust until they choke and leave.

Next time you see a dude on a motorcycle, shoot him a good thought.

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"Jesus called. He wants his religion back."

"I'm for the separation of church and hate."

I copped these from the Northern Sun Bookstore catalogue in Syracuse NY.

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Not that I oppose a counter-demonstration in the least. Phelps is an idiot who holds the virtue of free speech; if others choose to elevate his nasty message by countering it, they are endowed by their creator with the right to free speech also.

Phelps, like most fundamentalists--be they biblical, green, political, etc, or otherwise--is an insignificant player, until you lend him your attention...your significance.

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Yeah, that's the ticket. I've seen the pictures of women dressed in white robes with what must be 15' tall wings. These wonderful women would surround these fools and cover up their awful posters and drown them out singing "Amazing Grace." Very effective. And all the other kind protesters should do Ghandi-like protest of sitting down around the angels and singing with them. Oh, blessssed beeeee!

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I dislike Phelps and his followers. But I think it is time to send him a message. I am a 100% disabled veteran and the mother of a lesbian daughter. As such I find the need to be in Topeka to let him and his followers that he needs to stop his hate mongering!

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Be honest, this moron has drummed up more support for the gay community from the straight community than all of the gay activists in history.

The more he talks, the more the message gets out. His words damn themselves.

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It was just last week that this forum posted a video of Ellen Degeneris speaking on the death of 15-year-old Lawrence King, the young student shot to death by a fellow student because Larry had asked him to be his Valentine.

The society has allowed girls to ask girls to be Valentines without sexual overtones and yet, the phrase, "That's so Gay!" pervades the current culture up to 30-somethings.

Christians, if they truly are, need to remember two things:
1. God made each person in his perfect image. Who is *anyone* to deny God's unique expression in each individual?
2. The last Commandment, the one that trumps the previous 10; Treat your neighbor as you would have them treat you. *note: how you treat them comes before how they treat you.

Shamefully, the televangilists hawk religion and cd's and bibles with names engraved in "gold-colored text" on the front more than they remember Biblical instructions and inspriations.

Is it any wonder that people are turning away from "organized" religion in droves?

As the t-shirts, at the height of the Aids epidemic so succintly stated: Silence = Death.

Unfortunately, it lead to Larry King's death in a middle school computer lab and countless other men who "appear" gay to be beaten and oft time beaten to death all because of who they were assumed to be.

And yet, killing in the name of "democracy" seems to be the same lesson. Hmmmm. . . something to think about. . .

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... and preach tolerance!

would be the perfect protest vehicle against this pest...
encourage state and federal politicians to adopt anti-hate laws!

but do follow this clown around and give him his due...
I always thought Religion was about inclusion and not exclusion
this guy and his beliefs are obviously the workings of an Anti-Christ!

and didn't Dubya say we are fighting them over their so we wouldn't have to fight them over here? well... their here now it seems...

FUND-A-MENTAL-ISTS seem to be rampant in all of Abraham's stock religions these days...
[Jews, Christians and Muslims]

Bin Laden actually said its alright to KILL non-combatant civilians... and look at them now... blowing themselves up in their own markets... a slaughtering of their own innocence! he doesn't have to worry about us though... I'm sure we've our own martyrs to worry about [ala Timothy McVeigh]

Intolerance flourishes with the inept and uneducated!
and as the many profits [pun intended] have told us over the histories...
hatred is a sin, but preaching hatred is a blasphemy!

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I am, for better or worse, a member of one of the congregations that Fred and clan picket every Sunday morning.
So, first, the rule is that they have to leave half an hour before the service. The reality is that they show up at 15 minutes before the service and leave just as it begins. Our elderly and children have to walk through their line every Sunday.
Second, I think you need to find out when they worship - if they do. They are not doing so on Sunday mornings because they are all over town with picket signs, moving from place to place.
This is a great idea and I will be more than happy to participate, but it needs to be when they will know we are there!

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I am amazed that Phelps and his group, purported Christians, so blatantly disregard the teachings of Jesus. Jesus repeatedly commanded, "Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:43-45; Luke 6:27-38. When Jesus was questioned about why he associated with sinners, he said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Matthew 9:12. It is obvious that Phelps believes homosexuals are sinners and sick. If Phelps were truly following Jesus and his teachings, he would open the doors of his church and welcome homosexuals rather than shun us. This is the standard Jesus set. It is the standard to which all Christians are called to aspire.

I truly hope this march is peaceful. I cannot imagine a better response to Phelps' hatred than with non-violence and non-hatred. Imagine, homosexuals and our supporters teaching Phelps a lesson in Christianity.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned." Luke 6:37

"If anyone says 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." 1 John 5:19-20.

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I want to donate to the March, but when I click on the donate site, it takes me to my PayPal's main page with no mention of the March. How do I PayPal them a donation?

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This man has a problem. This man needs to get back on HIS knee's and ask for forgiveness. God teaches Man-kind to Love and Not Hate.

Go to God in Prayer and let him lead You.

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Phelps needs to be charged with child abuse for what he has so obviously done to his own family.

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