(no subject)
(Fredericksburg, Virginia) The numbers said it all. Across the street from Mary Washington College, six members of the Fred Phelps clan protested a production of The Laramie Project. At the college, a counter demonstration attracted more than 400 students.
The Phelps demonstrators were from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas where the Rev Fred Phelps runs his God Hates Fags website. The protestors, mostly Phelps family members, held signs proclaiming Matthew Shepard, the gay student on who's murder the play is based, is "burning in hell." Other signs said "Death Penalty for Fags" and "God Hates America." One of the protesters stood on an American flag laid on the sidewalk.
On the college campus, hundreds of students held candles lighting the way from the main gates to the theater. Many of the students wore buttons saying "Hate is not an MWC value."
Emily Gerber, a senior sociology major at the college, said she was proud of her fellow students' response to the church's messages of hate.
"I think we made a strong statement without yelling," she said.
Students from other schools, including Longwood University, the University of Virginia and Old Dominion University, traveled to Fredericksburg for Saturday night's counterprotest.
The group from Longwood College wore white angel's wings.
Mary Washington junior Sameer Vaswani said he participated in the vigil to honor Shepard.
"I'm here for Matthew Shepard," he said. "What was done to him was not fair or just."
A member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays collected donations for Equality Virginia outside the theater. Some people pledged a dime to the organization for every minute the Westboro Baptist Church group protested.
The Phelps demonstrators were from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas where the Rev Fred Phelps runs his God Hates Fags website. The protestors, mostly Phelps family members, held signs proclaiming Matthew Shepard, the gay student on who's murder the play is based, is "burning in hell." Other signs said "Death Penalty for Fags" and "God Hates America." One of the protesters stood on an American flag laid on the sidewalk.
On the college campus, hundreds of students held candles lighting the way from the main gates to the theater. Many of the students wore buttons saying "Hate is not an MWC value."
Emily Gerber, a senior sociology major at the college, said she was proud of her fellow students' response to the church's messages of hate.
"I think we made a strong statement without yelling," she said.
Students from other schools, including Longwood University, the University of Virginia and Old Dominion University, traveled to Fredericksburg for Saturday night's counterprotest.
The group from Longwood College wore white angel's wings.
Mary Washington junior Sameer Vaswani said he participated in the vigil to honor Shepard.
"I'm here for Matthew Shepard," he said. "What was done to him was not fair or just."
A member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays collected donations for Equality Virginia outside the theater. Some people pledged a dime to the organization for every minute the Westboro Baptist Church group protested.