Don't feed the irl trolls.

I've said it on every other post about Westboro and I'll say it again. They are financially supported by publicity and reactions to their hate speech. I understand why people are so offended, I do. Everyone is offended, that is their intention. But their existence is dependent on people flying into a blind rage whenever they protest or spew out their hate. Stop giving them publicity and their organization will wither and die. Obviously I support efforts locally to shield families from their protests, but I think we should stop giving these scumbags exactly what they want.

On a side note, I think people love groups like these in a sort of twisted, unconscious way. They want 'evil' people they can hate without reserve. They are the villain - the bad guy that everyone can hate.

I live in Kansas and I can assure you, Fred Phelps and his ilk live off of hate instead of food. The more people hate them, the better they feel. That's why they are equal opportunity hatemongers: They go after Iraq war vets as well as gays in order to receive the maximum amount of hate from both red- and blue-staters.

Best thing to do is to literally laugh in their face if they're on your campus and just walk on by. By the way, they are less a "church" and more the extended family of Phelps himself, who runs it like a cult.

I don't think it's worth it to fight with them-- they are who they are, and they love the attention that they get from their behavior. Fighting with them is giving them what they want-- and really, honestly, I'd rather focus the energy on a more positive. When they don't get the response they want from their protests, they'll either have to find new tactics or find something new to bitch about. After what they did at my school (Virginia Tech), I will never give them the time of day for anything, and I will always, always hope that others do the same.

I definitely agree. Giving them attention is just what they want. But, as a queer youth activist living in Kansas, they definitely provide a lot of publicity for us, too! For example, in Lawrence, KS there was a performance of the Laramie Project at Lawrence High School that the Phelps protested at. The school got people to pledge money to wager how long the Phelps would stay there and they raised hundreds of dollars and got more people to come see the show! So, if you are using their tactics against them - I say go for it.

GAP (Genocide Awareness Project), the insane anti-choice group of ill repute that displays gruesome two story images that are supposed to be of aborted fetuses,was making its yearly visit to my University's campus this week, and there was a lot of discussion about what could be done. I thought long and hard about it, and made a decision that engaging with the group was pointless, because they're not going to change their tactics.

What I did decide to do was find out who gives permission for a group like that to be on campus, and filed a formal complaint, citing the provisions on the University's freedom of expression policy that stated no group could "disrupt normal activities" and provided several examples of how GAP was doing just that and so was violating the University's policies. I think that taking this kind of practical action can sometimes be the most effective path, because you are working within a system already in place, and simply asking that written pre-existing regulations be enforced. It wasn't a political blow, I'll admit, but possibly a move that can result in real control.

I should mention, though, that our awesome Women's Studies Student Organization staged a protest in the same plaza and that that kind of action matters too, and I'm very glad they were there.

I like this man. Had good things to say. If christians practiced the basics of christianity without all the messed up intrepretations and started interpreting things in a historical context, the world would be a better place. I can do it, they can do. But I guess im not a "real christian." Sigh.

I see the Westboro Baptist Church protests as an extreme example of sexism and homophobia in our country, however, I know many people whose views at times feel similar to those of the WBC. The phrases "that's so gay" or "you're a pussy" to me are equally as awful, maybe more so, than what the Westboro Baptist Church does. What I like about radicals like WBC is that they are very willing to voice their views, to protest, to own their opinions. We can very easily determine in our minds that they are prejudice and there is seemingly no gray area. Yet with everyday Americans, especially American teens (I am 17 years old) I hear many racist, homophobic, sexist, and tons of other prejudice things being said by those who I could never imagine taking part in a WBC protest. It is harder to work against prejudice that is hidden than prejudice that is out in the open, and at times I wish more people would own their prejudices so they could then really begin to question and fight it.

No, I don't think it is. Somethings are too big to ignore (rush limbaugh has passed the ignore him and he'll go away stage, for instance) but there's no need to give someone insignificant free press for their insane platform, o matter how awfu.

I think of the Westboro Church people like I think of my niece when she was three years old. She once decided to throw a public tantrum, and I just let go of her hand and walked away. It took her ten seconds to straighten up. Engaging with Westboro only breeds their hatred. That being said, I do think it's horrible when they "protest" funerals. I'm not sure what the best situation there is, because obviously it only adds to a family's grief to be forced to put up with that shit. I know that in the past, radio stations have offered them free air time if they will stay away from the funerals of fallen armed service peoples, but I'm not sure if I agree with that capitulation. It really is a much more difficult situation in those instances.

I wish they'd at least learn how to sing. That crap hurt my ears.

i disagree with the OP's labeling of westboro church as "extremists." we need to use another term for such people, or not pay attention to them altogether.

"extremism" implies one is more true towards an ideology or practice than the "moderates," so equating extremism with something negative makes the whole ideology negative. for example, calling the Quiverfull people extremists implies that they're extremely Christian, which means feminist Christians are not as Christian. that's a dangerous idea to perpetuate because it makes feminist interpretations of the text less valid than patriarchal interpretations. feminist interpretations aren't any less "literal," because they take the context of the literature into account.

i think there was a woman who started this group called Society of Cutting Up Men (SCUM) and of course she is labeled as "extreme" feminist, though her action is not an "extreme" form of feminism.

On the one very emotional side I feel like we need to fight and protest them. They protested at the funeral of an Auburn student a couple of years ago. She was simply a student who was murdered, but they protested her funeral because she went to a university and universities are notorious for being liberal hotbeds (in Alabama though?), in a country that does not condemn gay people...or some such nonsense. What purpose or reason does that serve...the plane crash...what they are doing is hideous...

But on the other calmer..."rise above it" side realizes that one these people are like a errant child who misbehaves because any attention, even bad attention, is better than no attention...and two as I go back and try to figure their reasons for protesting I realize that they don't have any legitimate protest...they aren't legitimate...giving them our emotional response gives them the feeling of legitimacy...these are not people ruled by logic or even emotion...they are ruled by hate and evil...they cannot be reasoned with or reached or even appealed to...they are a cult...not a religious organization...

Debate them? They're beyond reason at that point.

Ignore them? Where's the fun in that?

I suggest that, just once, people follow 4chan's (*ptoo*) lead and protest them. Yes, protest the protesters. And you would do this...by making funny protest signs and joining them, pretending like you're a supporter. Naturally, you wouldn't let them see the sign until it was too late. Don't worry about being attacked--Fred's daughter Shirley is currently head of day-to-day operations and a very savvy lawyer by all accounts--though if you're really clever you can sue them for irreperable damage to your ears when they figure it out and start shouting.

For example, to mock their homophobia, make a sign that says "Loves the cock" with an arrow, and join them so that the arrow points at a male member (...seriously, pun not intended, I just typed the word out without thinking). Alternatively, old shirts like "I'm with stupid" can work just fine.

Perhaps you want to not only entertain the crowd who are doubtless pissed at the people you're sharing space with, but get them involved. So, if you and your counter-protesters make up at least four, give each of them a sign, each with a single letter, and space yourselves out in the protesters appropriately. "Y" "M" "C" "A"

Or let your darker impulses be known with one reading "Honk if you want me to detonate the TNT in my jacket" (it would probably be useful if you made this pithier). Incidentally, be prepared to be arrested in this case.

Or even make it seem like their protest is itself just a huge obscene joke. If they're lined up roughly left to right, have someone go to the far far far left with a sign reading, "A man walks into a talent agent's office..." and then go to the far far far right with a sign that says "...The Aristocrats!"

I like laughing at them and ignoring them. When they come up to you, say, "Seriously? No, seriously?" burst out laughing, and walk on. If everyone does that, then it's only a problem when you have them picketing areas where people are especially vulnerable, like at funerals.

Plus, they hate it. They want you to engage, they want you to be offended. Just remember-- everyone hates them. They are one of the few groups that everyone can hate, and thus, they have no power, none at all, and they can't hurt you or any causes you stand for.

The only effective protests against WBC that I have seen were done the motorcycle gangs that came and blocked the view and revved their engines to drown out WBC chanting. Making WBC ineffective seems like a good counter-protest strategy. Other strategies just seem to draw more attention to them.

I thought the counter-protest in Buffalo was effective, where people dresses as angels and spread their big wings, blocking the view from the folks who were attending funerals of plane crash victims.

Engaging the WBC directly? Bad idea.

Taking action to render their protests less effective (as in the examples cited by Bird, socbaker, and moniquep)? Good idea.

From what I've read, Fred Phelps has inadvertently done some good -- the people in that part of Kansas are so eager to disassociate themselves from him and his views that they've signed in a number of anti-homophobia laws and elected a lesbian mayor.

According to "Addicted to Hate", a book about Fred Phelps, there are only about 70 members of Westboro Baptist, but more than a dozen of them are lawyers (if I remember correctly). They basically live off of lawsuits: roll into an area, try to encourage someone to assault them, and then sue. I'm not aware of any member of the Phelps clan that has any gainful employment.

So, it's probably not a good idea to engage them.

I'm a former Kansas resident whose a little too familiar these people.

The family runs very deep in Kansas legal history (seriously, look up the lawyers in Brown vs Board of Ed...you'll be really surprised).

They live in a "compound" north of Topeka.

Just ignore them. You can't argue with them. I've tried.

I wouldn't expect engaging with them to be useful, but I don't think that ignoring them is, either. Silence may not equal agreement, but it also sure doesn't show anyone the depth and breadth of opposition to groups like this. I think counter-protests are absolutely appropriate and useful, as well as taking action to shield the targets of this group's protests from the protests themselves.

I heard about something a restaurant that the WBC protested did. The owner gave a certain amount of money to gay rights and AIDS organizations for every minute they were out there. I like this approach because it gives them very little mind and these organizations get money.

There's a project called Phelps-A-Thon (http://www.phelps-a-thon.com/About.html) that follows the WBC around the country and gets people to pledge money for every minute the group protests; then the money is given to whatever LGBT organization the WBC was protesting at the time. When they came to Cambridge, MA recently to protest outside a high school, the Phelps-A-Thon raised over $3,000 for the school's GSA.

I've counter-protested the WBC before, and while it was great to see so many people (ministers, soccer moms, and high school students) speak out against homophobia, I was upset by the negative tactics used by some of the counter-protesters. People were yelling at the Phelps to "go back to Kansas", and one person held a sign that said "Fags Hate You". To the young kids who were with the WBC that day, this probably confirmed everything their parents had told them about the cruel, sinful outside world. To really set themselves apart from the Phelps, counter-protests should emphasize love, unity, and acceptance: everything the WBC opposes.

University of Chicago had the right approach when they came.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZfZiBRFM5w
and with awesome signs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/froboy/sets/72157614979271411/

I think it's interesting how it's brought up in the video about how people can get the wrong impression about Christianity from watching the Phelps crowd. I know a lot of people who are not Christian who see people like Phelps and think that that's what Christianity is about. I'm not a Christian myself, but I have Christians in my family and have to explain to some of my fellow non-Christians that Phelps and friends are extremists; they don't represent most Christians and it is definitely possible to be liberal and open-minded and follow the tenets of Christianity.

It's likewise with how - if you went to the Campus Progress site - there's a video with the president of the Maryland Young Republicans who organized a counter-protest. He said that part of the reason they did it is to show that that's now what many conservatives are actually like, and he explained how his group includes people on both sides of the gay marriage debate and how they organized the counter-protest in tandem with gay rights' groups. Of course, if you're not a Christian or a Republican (and as I pointed out before, I am neither), it may seem like it doesn't matter, but it's worth noting too that people from other countries see this and think "wow...Americans are crazy." So what I'm saying is that I think it's worth going there at least to show that these people are marginal, that they do not represent the views of the community where they are protesting. But I would agree with people above that humor is the best way to combat them.

This is a difficult question quite honestly. "God Hates Fags" came to my campus and the Pride Alliance and sexuality concerns groups as well as the community debated whether or not there should even be a counter-protest because without one, what power would "God Hates Fags" really have? If you don't pay attention, will they reach anyone? However, I think that's the difficult part: will they reach anyone? Perhaps that's where the need for the counter-protest comes in; they need people out there making sure that no one takes what they're saying as fact. My campus had a visit last semester from another group similar to this and all of the groups that were countering it made sure that students didn't surround the speaker, but the tables of the groups instead--to show where their support really lied.

I really want to hug the guy being interviewed.

/telehugs