UND students protest anti-gay church's protest
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Hundreds of UND students and others in a counter-demonstration pressed around nine members of a tiny, Topeka, Kan., church who brought their notorious anti-homosexual demonstration to Grand Forks on Friday.
Despite what seemed crass provocation by the Kansas demonstrators, nothing more confrontational than some jeers and an obscene gesture or two were seen.
The nine, plus the 7-year-old son of one of the adults, are members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, whose pastor, Fred Phelps, has built a ministry based on a simple sermon: “God hates fags.”
The church has maybe 50 members, most of the Phelps' descendants; he has eight daughters and five sons and many grandchildren. Nine of his children are law school graduates, some of them working as attorneys.
He sends out followers nearly every weekend to protest around the nation, mostly against open homosexuality. Fred Phelps did not attend Friday's rally.
Jonathan Phelps, a burly, bearded man who said he weighs 300 pounds, stood on an American flag on the corner of University Avenue and Columbia Road while hoisting two picket signs into the faces of hundreds of opponents, many only a few feet away.
“The gospel for today is God hates fags,” Phelps said.
He was trying to show the most disrespect for the flag and for America that he could, Phelps said. His logic: America loves fags, God hates fags, so God hates America.
“It's too windy to try to burn it and too cold to take a crap on it, or piss on it,” he said of the flag. America is “a filthy country,” that has made room for “filthy fags,” Phelps said.
A car with four young men turned the corner at Phelps feet, and a man in the back seat thrust his right arm out the window, flipping the bird, and yelled “F*** You!” at Phelps.
But mostly, things were quiet, even some halting singing for a minute or two.
Joe Johnston, a UND student and member of the 10% Society, helped hold up a large rainbow banner.
He's bisexual, Johnston said, but didn't feel threatened by the rhetoric of the Westboro Baptists.
“I'm proud to be out here. . . What they want is verbal confrontation,” Johnston said. “But we are not about that. We are here more as a visual.”
Nationwide protests
Despite reports they travel the country staging protests mostly hoping to incite violent reactions that lead to lawsuits for which they collect large sums of money, that's not true, the Westboro members said Friday.
Officials in the Kansas attorney general's office and state bar association said there is no clear evidence linking the group to a pattern of filing lawsuits connected with protests.
Phelps' church is part of what is called the Primitive Baptists, marked by the teaching that most people are “predestined” to go to hell.
Their rhetoric and graphic signs are not meant to persuade, but to proclaim, rather joyously, that most of the people around them are hellbound, the members said.
One sign thanked God for Sept. 11, and another “Matt: 4 years in hell,” referring to the beating death four years ago of Mathew Shepherd, a Wyoming gay man.
Garrett Ludwig, a UND student, crowded close to hear what Phelps was saying.
“I'm at a loss for words,” Ludwig said when asked what he thought. “I think it's ridiculous.”
Wes Stevens, who teaches social work at UND, stood close to Phelps and his cohorts, but silently with his back to them.
It was important not to ignore the Westboro group, even though it's clear what they want is a big media event, Stevens said.
“This has pulled together faculty and students to all take a stand when otherwise they wouldn't do it,” Stevens said.
Conservative Christian groups on campus joined with liberal groups, such as the 10% Society, made up of gays and lesbians, to oppose the Kansas group, Stevens said.
“I think, as a family, they do believe in what they are doing,” he said of the Phelps clan. “They do have a right to speak.”
A female student approached a man who identified himself as Karl Hockenberger, a member of Westboro Baptist. “God doesn't hate people, he loves people,” the student said, almost pleading with him.
Hockenberger shouted at her, “God hates people! Deal with it!”
Officers on site
UND Police Chief Duane Czapiewski conferred with the Westboro group and made sure they left right at 5 p.m., after one hour. His officers escorted the group to their two rented mini-vans; the group plans to demonstrate in Fargo today and Sunday.
The brightest moment came at the end, as the Kansas group began walking away, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, kitty-corner across the intersection, blasted out the Bruce Springsteen anthem, “Born in the USA,” and the crowd began to cheer and clap.
Czapiewski estimated the crowd at 250; others figured 300 or more.
Melanie McDaniels, a UND student, wore one of the t-shirts printed by a group of Christian students this week that said “God is Love.”
“These people came out today to degrade some part of the population here, and they ended up degrading themselves,” she said of the Westboro Baptist group.
She said the group used a few Old Testament verses to justify their hate for homosexuals.
“They totally disregarded the New Testament,” McDaniel said. “I can't believe they can call themselves a church. I don't think they accomplished anything.”
Reach Lee at (701) 780-1237, or (800) 477-6572, ext. 237; email slee @gfherald.com
