Anti-gay church to picket graduation ceremony at Rupp
Alice Haymond
Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: Campus News
- Page 1 of 1
In an effort to convince Kentuckians of America's damnation, members of an extreme religious organization plan to picket UK's graduation commencement ceremony on Sunday.
The protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. will be holding signs displaying messages such as "America is doomed," "God hates fags" and "Thank God for the shooter," in reference to the Virginia Tech attacks, said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church representative. They have been peacefully picketing around the nation for the last 16 years because they are opposed to the message American Christians generally teach - the lesson that God loves everyone.
"We are trying to help this nation connect back," Phelps-Roper said. "These children have been taught defiance against God, and now these children are dying. That's why the shooting at Virginia Tech happened."
The same group was in Kentucky at the end of December, protesting at a military funeral in Stanton. Before picketing UK, the group plans to picket the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
"We've had a lot of dealings with Kentucky of late, and we know they're in some trouble," Phelps-Roper said.
After hearing rumors of this demonstration late last week, UK administration met with Lexington Police, UK Police and Lexington Center administrators to set up a plan that will maintain order, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said.
The group will have a designated area outside Rupp Arena where it can protest out of the way of pedestrian traffic. Lexington and UK police will be present to keep things from getting out of hand.
"This group is not confrontational in and of itself, but they will try to get a response from people around them," Johnson said. "We would hope people would focus on the commencement and not the picketers. This day should be about the graduates, not about the picketers and their message."
The message the group brings is one that will offend a lot of people, including homosexuals - who the group targets - and Christians who have a different interpretation of the Bible, said Susan Matsubara, the student director of UK's OUTsource.
"The group thrives on attention and they get it through their hateful message, which the media covers and chooses to acknowledge," said Matsubara, a gender and women's studies and political science senior. "The commencement is about the students, we should focus on the 2007 graduates and their accomplishments instead of allowing this disruptive group to destroy our day."
The same group protested in Lexington in 2002 when the Cathedral of Christ the King baptized triplets who would be raised by two gay men. The Lexington community rallied against the protest at the Lexington Arts Place in a Hate-Free Lexington rally.
"Any hateful group or ideology can negatively impact a community, but that's why it is so important for our community to come together and show our strength and solidarity against hate," Matsubara said.
Although there is nothing definite planned, Matsubara said there probably will be a response to the protest. She predicted it will be a celebration how the community can unite against hate.
E-mail ahaymond@kykernel.com
The protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. will be holding signs displaying messages such as "America is doomed," "God hates fags" and "Thank God for the shooter," in reference to the Virginia Tech attacks, said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church representative. They have been peacefully picketing around the nation for the last 16 years because they are opposed to the message American Christians generally teach - the lesson that God loves everyone.
"We are trying to help this nation connect back," Phelps-Roper said. "These children have been taught defiance against God, and now these children are dying. That's why the shooting at Virginia Tech happened."
The same group was in Kentucky at the end of December, protesting at a military funeral in Stanton. Before picketing UK, the group plans to picket the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
"We've had a lot of dealings with Kentucky of late, and we know they're in some trouble," Phelps-Roper said.
After hearing rumors of this demonstration late last week, UK administration met with Lexington Police, UK Police and Lexington Center administrators to set up a plan that will maintain order, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said.
The group will have a designated area outside Rupp Arena where it can protest out of the way of pedestrian traffic. Lexington and UK police will be present to keep things from getting out of hand.
"This group is not confrontational in and of itself, but they will try to get a response from people around them," Johnson said. "We would hope people would focus on the commencement and not the picketers. This day should be about the graduates, not about the picketers and their message."
The message the group brings is one that will offend a lot of people, including homosexuals - who the group targets - and Christians who have a different interpretation of the Bible, said Susan Matsubara, the student director of UK's OUTsource.
"The group thrives on attention and they get it through their hateful message, which the media covers and chooses to acknowledge," said Matsubara, a gender and women's studies and political science senior. "The commencement is about the students, we should focus on the 2007 graduates and their accomplishments instead of allowing this disruptive group to destroy our day."
The same group protested in Lexington in 2002 when the Cathedral of Christ the King baptized triplets who would be raised by two gay men. The Lexington community rallied against the protest at the Lexington Arts Place in a Hate-Free Lexington rally.
"Any hateful group or ideology can negatively impact a community, but that's why it is so important for our community to come together and show our strength and solidarity against hate," Matsubara said.
Although there is nothing definite planned, Matsubara said there probably will be a response to the protest. She predicted it will be a celebration how the community can unite against hate.
E-mail ahaymond@kykernel.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 8
lindsey
posted 4/30/07 @ 7:33 PM EST
can we protest them coming to graduation? its not like anyone actually listens to those crazies.
lexpeople1st
Robert Moreland
posted 5/01/07 @ 1:06 AM EST
Giving them any notice at all gives them some semblance of credence. Flatly, they should be ignored, and given exactly the opposite of what they crave . (Continued…)
katie
posted 5/01/07 @ 10:20 AM EST
they have been "peacefully protesting" for years?
since when is standing outside of funerals spewing hateful propoganda to grieving families "peaceful"??
Katy
posted 5/01/07 @ 2:39 PM EST
I cannot believe that even under the protections of free speech that this group has been continually allowed to disrupt everything from funerals to graduations for the past 16 years. (Continued…)
Bryan
posted 5/01/07 @ 3:49 PM EST
Unbelieveably, this same group is supposed to protest at some of the V-Tech victim's funerals on the basis of college teaches students ungodly things and other nonsense. (Continued…)
Rick Paynter
posted 5/01/07 @ 5:23 PM EST
I sent this as a letter to the editor, but who knows if it will get published...
I am furious with the fact that during a time of celebration of great achievements, a group of religious nuts will be trying to put a damper on the Graduation Ceremony. (Continued…)
diebuchen
diebuchen
posted 5/05/07 @ 2:27 AM EST
Google: LOVING GOD'S HATE, to read an extensive expose on Phelps by the Topeka Capitol-Journal, his hometown newspaper.
One would think a man claiming to be advancing "morality" would have a pristine background, LOL!
Some of the many enlightening items: several of Phelps' estranged children publicly assert Phelps severely and frequently abused them; the details of Phelps' disbarment for repeated unethical conduct, by both the Kansas Supreme Court and the Federal Courts; Phelps' electronic harassment of public officials he disliked; the details of a successful lawsuit filed against Phelps by a candy vendor, who was owed over $5,000. (Continued…)
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