The University of North Texas staged a production of The Laramie Project this weekend (for those that may not remember, it’s about the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming).  Some protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas staged a protest with their typical hateful nonsense.  This spawned a counter-protest.  If I had known that this was going on I’d have joined the counter-protest.

Protesters, opposition line up near play’s production

04/13/2003

By Megan Middleton / Staff Writer

More than 80 University of North Texas students held a counterprotest Saturday night across the street from 10 members of a Kansas church who came to protest the university’s theatrical production of The Laramie Project.

The play looks at the town of Laramie, Wyo., after the kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college student. It was created by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, a collective of gay- and lesbian-rights activists in New York.

Protesters and counterprotesters took to both sides of Chestnut Street at the intersection of Welch Street near the Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building, where the production would later begin.

The group of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., held signs that read “Fags Die, God Laughs,” “God Abhors Fags” and “UR Going 2 Hell.” A child of one of the church members also held a sign that read “Matt in Hell.”

The groups screamed back and forth at each other, and many drivers yelled at the group from Kansas as they were passing by.

The church members remained at the corner for about an hour.

“There’s room for all of you in hell!” shouted one person with the group from Kansas.

Several women with the church stood on an American flag and sang, “God hates America,” to the tune of “God Bless America.”

“This is the scariest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” said Zack Huggins, a UNT junior who came out as a part of the counterprotest against the Kansas group. “I was hoping I lived in a day and age where this kind of hate wasn’t around anymore. I’ve lost some faith in humanity.”

Counterprotesters held up posters, some in the shape of hearts, that read “God Loves Everyone.” Other signs read: “God Made Gays” and “God is Love.”

The group of mainly students also sang “Over the Rainbow” and chanted, “Go back to Kansas,” to the church group.

….

A lot of times we don’t have groups like this [counterprotest],” Mr. Hockenbarger said.

He said the group is not concerned about evangelizing to help people become Christians.

”I’m trying to spread a message—that message is repent or perish,” he said. “Our purpose is not to recruit. Our purpose is not to win souls.”

Note the highlighted portion.  These people sound just like the Islamofascists that rail against America and our “decadent”, “evil” culture.  Simply substitute Allah for God in their rantings.  I’m not sure, but isn’t this the same church from which Phelps spews his hatred?  If so, these are evil, nasty freaks who show up at the funerals of gay people with signs that say things like “God hates fags” and “Fags burn in hell.”  And their hatred seems to include anything modern.  One of the protesters above was holding a sign that said, “God blew up the shuttle.”

How horrible it must be to live with a such a dark and nasty pit of hatred in your heart.  I feel sorry for their children growing up and being indoctrinated into this foul and odious mindset.