Homophobia Descends on OC

Rev. Phelps to Protest Oberlin Lifestyle Tuesday

According to Reverend Fred Phelps, "God hates gay people. God laughs when homosexuals die." In Phelps' eyes, his mission is to preach the "soul-damning, nation-destroying notion that 'It's OK to be gay.'"

On Tuesday afternoon, Phelps and his followers at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas will come to Tappan Square for one hour to protest Oberlin's traditional acceptance of homosexuality. In a letter warning the College of his arrival, Phelps promised "public demonstrations regarding the dangers of promoting homosexuality, and other issues of righteousness, heaven, hell and eternity."

A Show of Solidarity: Members of the Christian Fellowship and the LGBTU brainstorm positive ways to handle the arrival of anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps. (photo by Brian Hodgkin)

Wherever gay rights are championed, Phelps can be found. He and his followers at Westboro Baptist Church followers - mostly family members - picket the funerals of people associated with the gay-rights movement and stage public demonstrations condemning homosexuals at churches, colleges, political conventions, city halls and restaurants. They are perhaps best known for coming to murdered gay youth Mathew Sheppard's funeral carrying placards emblazoned with the words "God Hates Fags" and "Repent or Perish." The same sentiments are repeated on Westboro Church's webpage, www.godhatesfags.com. Their rhetoric is inflammatory, and offensive and hurtful to many.

"It's unfortunate that our community should have to be subjected to the kind of hateful vitriol that emanates from organizations such as this one," said Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith.

Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Union (LGBTU) and their allies met Monday and Tuesday to create a plan for Phelps' arrival. Many Christian students came to show their support for the gay community at Oberlin. "I came because I hate to see my values misrepresented and distorted by someone like Fred Phelps," said one Christian student.

Those who attended the meetings, although shocked and angry, decided to take a humorous, playful approach to Phelps' visit. They planned a "day of fun" that will last from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be music, picnics and costumes (including students dressed in colors to create a human rainbow), as well as outlets for anger such as "kiss-ins and balloons to pop. A support group for those who feel they need to physically distance themselves from Phelps will be meeting in Wilder.

Junior LGBTU president Jessica Powers stressed the importance of staying calm rather than becoming directly involved with Phelps. Junior President of the Christian Fellowship Dan Seigfried agreed, saying, "Just totally ignoring him demeans what he's saying."

Ignoring Phelps is a question not just of pride but of safety. "They are extremely provocative in both word and image," said Oberlin Chaplain Fred Lasson. "They sometimes carry handcuffs, make citizens' arrests if they feel threatened. We're suggesting to people that we don't try to engage them. They're not really interested in dialogue."

Phelps and his followers have been known to provoke people into assaulting them, then arrest and sue. A large part of the funding that allows them to travel around the country demonstrating against homosexuals comes from such lawsuits.

"It's very important that people realize that his goal is to stir people up and even get them to attack him," said President Nancy Dye. "This is a bad idea. Why dignify him by giving him that much feeling and attention? The best way to approach it would be to ignore him."

In preparing for Phelps' demonstration, the Oberlin community had a chance to come together in a show of solidarity. Representatives of the Christian community, Multicultural Resource Center, Dean of Students Office, Chaplain's Office and Counseling Center and students who were generally concerned all attended the meeting comprised mostly of LGBTU students.

"It is heartening to watch our community come together and reaffirm the traditions of openness, acceptance and tolerance that are at the heart of our identity as an institution," said Goldsmith.

Phelps' visit to Oberlin is only one part of his purpose. He will also be in Cleveland for the United Methodist General Conference, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury will address 1,000 Methodist delegates and dozens of heads of Christian churches worldwide. An organization called Soulforce that works for gay rights in the Christian community will also be there, prompting Phelps to counterattack.

Soulforce follows the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. in their policy of non-violent resistance. Relatives of King and Gandhi will be at the University Center Auditorium in Cleveland from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Soulforce will also be staging a training in non-violence.

This is not the first time Phelps has said he would come to Oberlin. Prompted by the hiring of openly gay Athletic Director Mike Muska, Phelps planned to come at the beginning of the Fall 1998 semester, but never showed. A task force comprised of various representatives of organizations on campus created a similar strategy of non-confrontation and solidarity.

"I was on the task force appointed by President Dye in the fall of 1998, when [Phelps] threatened to come, but did not," said Chaplain Fred Lasson. "The conversations precipitated by his impending appearance were actually a real blessing, and we are hoping that the same will be the case this time."