OK, if you just happen to glance at Lady Gaga not knowing who she is, you might think "Whoa! Lady is crazy!" But if you know who Lady Gaga is, you know that while she's a bit eccentric, she's an amazing artist and actually quite intelligent. And of course she is one of our Gay Divas ... so loved by us Well, Westboro Baptist church actually thinks Lady Gaga is a God-hater and God hates Lady Gaga, too.Sigh. Can they really not find anyone better to pick on? Sure, Lady Gaga is kind of strange. Yes, she dresses in odd outfits. And it's true she has a lot of gay and lesbian fans. But does that somehow make Lady Gaga a God-hater? One Baptist church thinks so and plans to picket Gaga's concert on January 7 at the Fox Theater in Missouri.The church, led by Reverend Fred Phelps, claims Lady Gaga is leading a revolution against God and will be going to hell. Oh, and for followers of Lady Gaga? She's actually bringing "them into slavery to their own corruption, teaching them to glory in their shame." And "She hates you!" Wow. We love Lady Gaga because she's so different; not to mention, she's super sweet and not harming a soul as far as we can see.I have a feeling this isn't really bothering Lady Gaga too much, but it could be a huge annoyance to fans trying to attend her Missouri concert. Though I can't imagine too many people will show up to picket her show. And the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, Francis Slay, actually has a sense of humor about the matter and says, "I hope her fans have fun and spend lots of money here. Other than that, there's 'Nothing Else I Can Say (eh eh)." So, it looks like even the mayor knows who Lady Gaga is!Fred Phelps, the leader of Westboro Baptist Church, best known for picketing the funerals of deceased soldiers and trying to deny equal rights to gays and lesbians, has turned his attention and PR machine to pop culture by calling Lady Gaga a ’slut.’
“Her claim to the title of ‘Lady’ is sound only if she tacks on ‘of the night.’ Does the simple slut truly think she can change God’s standards by seducing a generation of rebels into joining her in fist-raised, stiff-necked, hard-hearted rebellion against Him? Get real!”
The group even plans to picket her concert at Fox Theatre in Missouri on January 7th. Do you think Fred Phelps and his Baptist church will have an effect on Lady Gaga or that nothing can stop her now?
Alpha Delta Phi fraternity brothers lined their porch in bathrobes, awaiting the arrival of the protesters. When they appeared, the brothers stripped off their robes and began dancing to Diana Ross & The Supremes’ “I’m Coming Out,” Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” and the Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men.” The “Tiny Dancer” lyrics “Jesus freaks/out in the streets” elicited a loud cheer from the crowd on the other side of the street. Another protest by the miserable Westboro Baptist Church parishioners came to Chicago this past Tuesday. You might not have heard about it, because most of us gay people smartly ignore their ravings, hoping they'll just go away. Over 100 students gathered on South University Avenue and in Hutchinson Courtyard Monday to demonstrate against six protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church advocating against the University of Chicago, the Chicago Theological Seminary, and the University of Chicago Law School.
[MEDIA not found]
The WBC protesters arrived at the CTS at noon. Carrying signs reading “God hates the world” and “Bloody Obama,” they stood on the corner of East 58th Street and South University Avenue for half an hour. They allowed people to photograph them and held up their signs, smiling. At one point, Shirley Phelps-Roper, WBC’s spokeswoman, sang a joyful rendition of “God Hates America.”They were accompanied down the street by a group of students mocking the WBC’s message. The students held a sign reading “Figs Doom Nations” and planted themselves across the street from the WBC, drawing from a Biblical passage in which Jesus disparages a fig tree. “If you need scanty biblical evidence for anything, we’ve got it,” said fourth-year Carmel Levy as he handed out flyers containing biblical citations that read: “Jesus rebuked the fig as an evil abomination” and “God Promises Terrible Vengeance Upon Any Fig-Loving Nation.”
“We just wanted the world to know that God’s vengeance doesn’t just fall on the gay, but also on the fruit,” said fourth-year Max Shron.
On the eastern side of the quad, students who had been waiting for the group waved signs mocking the WBC’s trademark “God Hates Fags” poster. The signs bore slogans such as “God Hates’s internet porn,” “God hates the new Facebook,” and “God hates dial-up.”
In general, the atmosphere was festive. Students laughed, joked, took pictures, and danced to Alpha Delta’s music.
“When we got down to the Seminary Co-Op and Alpha Delt was dancing around in their underwear, me and Rabbi Ruthie [Gelfarb] and this priest started dancing and we got like 30 people to come over and dance in front,” said third-year Iah Pillsbury. “It was like a celebration. It was really cool to see so many people come out in support of diversity and doing whatever we want and gay people...and religious freedom.”
The party atmosphere continued in Hutchinson Courtyard, where Queers and Associates, as well as other students, had organized a party in celebration of diversity. Counter-protest leaders encouraged students to gather at Hutch, containing the breadth of the counter-protest in order to discourage WBC media attention.
”There were a lot of various ideas about how to respond,” said third-year Dave Klein. “There had to be a response because a lot of people were mobilizing around the issue. We came up with this idea of having a party, to turn it into something beautiful...a celebration of diversity.”
“We took the opportunity...to show the University and beyond that we’re proud of who we are,” said first-year Lexie Tabachnick, who also helped coordinate the party.
The party included a s’mores roasting station, hot chocolate, a dance performance by Rhythmic Bodies in Motion, and musical performances by individual students and the a capella group Men in Drag. There were also petitions to be signed in support of overturning Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative making gay marriage unconstitutional, which was passed in November and is now being debated in the California Supreme Court. Large banners with slogans such as “Many Identities, One Community” were available for students to sign. Klein said the banners were there so that people could express “more positive messages about who we are. We are a diverse campus and we love us.” The party also raised over $500 for the Broadway Youth Center, which provides health services for the LGBTQ community. The whole day showed that chuckles can be much more powerful than threats and fear. The students should be commended for their good-spirited creativity. photo credit: Froboy
The Million Fag March is an annual event held at Gage Park in Topeka, KS near the home of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. The March is designed to protest the antics of Phelps and his church, who have become a symbol for the homophobia that remains throughout the United States. (God Hates Fags)The main goal of the MFM is to "take the offensive," using the very same rights and laws the members of the WBC use to shield themselves. However, the March sends out an opposing message of peace and acceptance for all people. We believe that ignoring a problem will not make it go away, and that we must take advantage of the rights our country gives us to speak up when we see wrong-doing in our communities, cities, and the U.S. as a whole.
The Second Annual Million "Fag" March will be held on May 30, 2009 beginning at 2:00pm in Gage Park. Gather at the Gage Park Amphitheater. Email chris.love@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. More info, forums, pictures, etc at http://millionfagmarch.com
OK, if you just happen to glance at Lady Gaga not knowing who she is, you might think "Whoa! Lady is crazy!" But if you know who Lady Gaga is, you know that while she's a bit eccentric, she's an amazing artist and actually quite intelligent. And of course she is one of our Gay Divas ... so loved by us
Well, Westboro Baptist church actually thinks Lady Gaga is a God-hater and God hates Lady Gaga, too.
Sigh. Can they really not find anyone better to pick on? Sure, Lady Gaga is kind of strange. Yes, she dresses in odd outfits. And it's true she has a lot of gay and lesbian fans. But does that somehow make Lady Gaga a God-hater? One Baptist church thinks so and plans to picket Gaga's concert on January 7 at the Fox Theater in Missouri.
The church, led by Reverend Fred Phelps, claims Lady Gaga is leading a revolution against God and will be going to hell. Oh, and for followers of Lady Gaga? She's actually bringing "them into slavery to their own corruption, teaching them to glory in their shame." And "She hates you!" Wow. We love Lady Gaga because she's so different; not to mention, she's super sweet and not harming a soul as far as we can see.
I have a feeling this isn't really bothering Lady Gaga too much, but it could be a huge annoyance to fans trying to attend her Missouri concert. Though I can't imagine too many people will show up to picket her show. And the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, Francis Slay, actually has a sense of humor about the matter and says, "I hope her fans have fun and spend lots of money here. Other than that, there's 'Nothing Else I Can Say (eh eh)." So, it looks like even the mayor knows who Lady Gaga is!
Fred Phelps, the leader of Westboro Baptist Church, best known for picketing the funerals of deceased soldiers and trying to deny equal rights to gays and lesbians, has turned his attention and PR machine to pop culture by calling Lady Gaga a ’slut.’
0%
Alpha Delta Phi fraternity brothers
The WBC protesters arrived at the CTS at noon. Carrying signs reading “God hates the world” and “Bloody Obama,” they stood on the corner of East 58th Street and South University Avenue for half an hour. They allowed people to photograph them and held up their signs, smiling. At one point, Shirley Phelps-Roper, WBC’s spokeswoman, sang a joyful rendition of “God Hates America.”
The party included a s’mores roasting station, hot chocolate, a dance performance by Rhythmic Bodies in Motion, and musical performances by individual students and the a capella group Men in Drag. There were also petitions to be signed in support of overturning Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative making gay marriage unconstitutional, which was passed in November and is now being debated in the California Supreme Court. 
