Source: Salem Statesman Journal, Oregonian, KATU TV, Pacifica Radio
SILVERTON -- "It's unclear what reaction the group from Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., was seeking when it arrived here to rebuke the town's mayor-elect," the Stateman-Journal observes, "but it's not likely that Silverton's festive, cheery response was what the religious protesters hoped to achieve."
The town greeted the small group with an overwhelming rally of its own.
Three young women and a man from the Topeka, Kansas church, traveled to Silverton to register their disdain for the recent election of the nation's first openly transgender mayor, Stu Rasmussen.
Rasmussen has been a fixture in Silverton politics for more than 20 years and has twice served as its mayor -- but that was before his transformation, KATU TV reports. Now he identifies as a male even though he has breast implants and dresses like a woman.
Rasmussen was elected mayor on November 4, running on an anti-growth platform. Although he uses the male pronoun and still goes by his given name, his gender expression is decidedly female, Pacifica Radio reports.
It's the second time in less than a week that a small group of Westboro protesters have been overmatched by counter-demonstrators. Last week in Omaha, a large group of high-school students chased off three Westboro picketers outside their school.
In Silverton, the four Westboro protesters spread out along one side of North Water Street, feet planted on American flags spread on the sidewalk, according to the Oregonian. They hoisted large laminated posterboards on each arm. Double-sided and easy to read from passing vehicles and local television trucks positioned half a block away, the signs offered assorted damnation -- "Barack Obama = Antichrist," "God Hates You," "You're Going to Hell" and "Fag Media Shame."
The counter-protesters were waiting across the two-lane street -- men in skirts and boots, moms with babes in arm, lifelong Silverton residents alongside kids playing hooky from Salem schools. The crowd of about 150 waved and drummed and hugged. Their signs, homemade, hurriedly produced on office laser printers and painted on the back of campaign yard signs, focused on the positive, the Oregonian reports.
"My love is bigger than your hate," read one. "We love Stu (and so does God)." "Everyone is welcome in Silverton."
For nearly an hour, the two sides faced off in a tense demonstration of wills, according to the Oregonian. The cool air was mostly quiet, except for passing pickups and school buses. One Kansas visitor mumbled a riff from Aerosmith's hard rock ditty, "Dude looks like a lady." Another pointed a stone smile at boys who threw curses out the windows of passing cars.
Rasmussen told KATU last week that the protest is ironic considering he is not gay -- he's been together with his live-in girlfriend for nearly 35 years.
"The only relevant Gospel for today is God hates fags, God hates fag enablers, therefore God hates the world and every individual in it with no statistically relevant exceptions," protester Jonathan Phelps told the Statesman Journal. "That right there is the Gospel in a nutshell."
Phelps, 49, is the seventh of 13 children of the Westboro movement founder Fred Phelps. He explained to the Statesman Journal that the movement began posting protest signs 18 1/2 years ago and today has about 60 followers who protest somewhere every day. In addition to Silverton, they protested Monday at Portland State University, the Sweden Consulate and Germany Consulate in Portland and Finland Consulate in Tigard. They will be protesting in Pittsburgh today.
A woman pushing a baby jogger past City Hall did a double take on her run, backing up to question 16-year-old Victoria Phelps, whose family runs the small Kansas church, the Oregonian reports.
"I'm a Christian," Lesley Brighton said, clearly perplexed by the girl's "God Hates Fags" sign. "This is some kind of joke, right?"
No, it's deadly serious, Phelps replied. Electing a transgender mayor, she said, was an abomination.
"I don't expect for it to sink in but it's our duty to come out here and preach to these people because they're so proud of having a transvestite mayor," Phelps said. "It's disgusting. And where was it? Was it Isaiah? Deuteronomy? About it being an abomination?"
Brighton shook her head. "I've read the Bible cover to cover," Brighton said. "Bottom line: love beats hate."
Source: Anti-gay group no match for Silverton | Oregonian
Silverton rallies against church's hate message | Salem Statesman Journal
Religious group plans protest over Silverton mayor | KATU TV
"God Hates Fags" Protests Nation’s First Transgender Mayor | Pacifica Radio
hattip: GayPolitics.com