Act Blue!
BMG endorses these candidates for election in 2010! Help them win - fill in a donation amount and click "Contribute" to be directed to BMG's Act Blue page.
Deval Patrick (MA-Gov) $
Mac D'Alessandro (MA-09) $
Jim McGovern (MA-03) $
Jack Conway (KY-Sen) $





Support BMG PAC!
About BMG PAC
Make a secure credit card contribution using Google Checkout:
$
Or send a check to BMG PAC, PO Box 877, Medford, MA 02155.
View BMG PAC's latest disclosure report


Menu

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:



Forget your username or password?



FREE COPY OF BOB'S BOOK Barack Obama for Beginners to every 100th Facebook Friend!

BMG on Facebook

About
About us
Rules of the road - please read!
Formatting and multimedia tips
Email us
RSS feed

BMG TRAFFIC REPORT
Blue Mass. Swag
Creative Commons License

Event Calendar
August 2010
(view month)
S M T W R F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 * * * *
<< (add event) >>

Active Users
Currently 2 user(s) logged on.

Search




Advanced Search


Blog Roll
Massachusetts Left
.08 Acres
Below Boston
Berkshires Blog
Blue News Tribune
Chimes at Midnight
Eisenthal Report
Granby 01033
Health Care for All
Left in Lowell
MA lefty blogs
Marry in Mass.
Mass Engagement
Massachusetts Liberal
Michael Forbes-Wilcox
My Dedham
Progressive Mass.
Quriltai on the Shore
Ryan's Take
Someday I Will
ShrewsBuried
Talking Stoneham
The Fray
Universal hub

Differently-Winged
John Daley
Mass. Pro-Life
No Looking Backwards
Peter Porcupine
Pundit Review
Red Mass Group
Scaling the Hill 2010

Mass. Media
David S. Bernstein
Cambridge politics
CommonWealth Unbound
Globe bloggers
Herald bloggers
Hub Blog
Jon Keller
MassBeacon
MA Election 2010
Media Nation (Dan Kennedy)
Open Media Boston
Adam Reilly
Toll Talk (Mary Connaughton)
Weekly Dig Blog
Wicked Local Politics

Legal
ACS Blog
Balkinization
Election law
How Appealing
SCOTUSblog
Volokh Conspiracy

General
Accountable Strategies
Billionaires for Bush
Blue Works Better
Crooks and Liars
Daily Howler
Daily Kos
Democracy Arsenal
Eschaton (Atrios)
Glenn Greenwald
Grist (environment blog)
Hullabaloo (Digby)
LiberalOasis
MyDD
Oliver Willis
Pandagon
Political Animal
Political Critic
Political Wire
Poor Man
Progressive Blog Digest
Real Climate
Senate Guru
Swing State Project
Tapped
Talking Points Memo
Think Progress
Truth and Progress
Turn Maine Blue
Wonkette

www.BlueMassGroup.com

Phelps-A-Thon

by: chrissmason

Mon Dec 01, 2008 at 03:38:33 AM EST


(Great idea -- allowing the Westboro loons themselves to determine how much is given to causes they undoubtedly loathe.  Poetic justice. - promoted by David)

Fred Phelps' clan is coming to Boston! The "God Hates Fags" Westboro Baptist Church is coming to picket the Laramie Project at the Boston Center for the Arts. Fred Phelps and his group travel all across the United States spreading their message of hate. When the group comes to Boston, however, they will be helping to drive equality across America.

Driving Equality is hosting a Phelps-A-Thon to counter Fred Phelps' hateful message. For every minute the "God Hates Fags" clan is protesting, we will be collecting donations for Driving Equality, a 85-day trek across America to all of the lower 48 states to advance LGBT equality.

phelpsno

The Phelps clan will be protesting in front of the Boston Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre from 7:15 PM to 8:00 PM on December 12th. You can pledge any amount you chose, whether it be $0.25, $1, $2, or even $5 for every minute they protest. You can even pledge a flat rate for the entire time the group will be demonstrating. (Pledge Online)

The point of this Phelps-A-Thon is two fold. First, we are using Phelps' own hateful message to raise funds for a good cause, one that will help counter the lies that are being spread about LGBT people. Second, we will be displaying a sign in front of the "God Hates Fags" clan tallying how much money they have helped raise for LGBT equality. This will certainly upset the group and it is possible that they will leave early to stop our fundraising.

chrissmason :: Phelps-A-Thon
On the "God Hates Fags" website, Phelps has this to say about the upcoming protest in Boston:

BCA Black Box Theatre - God Sent Matt 2 Hell! 527-551 Tremont Street. Matt is in Hell! Deal with it. Just read Romans 1, and see him and you in those words, and finally this: Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have in them that do them. AMEN!

fredphelps2

We can turn these hateful words into positive change. Help Drive Equality Across America.

Pledge Online

Driving Equality is a trek across America to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination faced by LGBT people in each state of the nation. Highlighting the differences in rights, laws, and amendments between the states will shed light on the current social standing of queer individuals today. I hope to create a dialogue about the disparities across the nation, and what can be done to end discrimination for all.

During the summer of 2009, I will be going on an 85-day, 15,000-mile road-trip, through all lower 48 states, to advance LGBT equality. Check out the Aboutpage to find out more about the project. Explore the website! Find out more about me, take a look at my route, learn about the trip's net-zero environmental impact, and consider donating or becoming a sponsor. When the trip starts, I will be updating the site on a daily basis with blog posts, photos, and videos.

If you are interested in learning more, or being a part of the project, leave a note in the comments.

Thanks.

Chris Mason
www.DrivingEquality.com

Tags: , , , , , , , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
Phelps-A-Thon | 20 comments
I love the idea (6.00 / 1)
of the "Fred has helped raise X dollars for LGBT civil rights!" sign.  I just hope the Phelps Cult shows.  For the past few years, since Fred began to be as feeble in body as in mind, they have promised to show up at many more events than they actually have.  Most recently, they missed a very major event they promised to picket: Del Martin's funeral.  And Fred rarely makes it out of his crypt any more; his daughter Shirley Phelps Roper seems to be the acting manager of the franchise these days.

If they do make it to Boston, I hope you can get a snap of Brian & Amy with their like-minded cohorts.  Or of Kris Mineau grinding his teeth at a distance because he so wants to be holding those signs, but knows he can't publicly express his true contempt for LGBT people.  I wonder if the Wirthlins or the Parkers will show.

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners.


We did this in Lowell/Dracut (6.00 / 3)
it was awesome. We raised a lot of money (for a last minute fundraiser especially) and had a similar sign. It really pulled people together in a positive way - instead of being about Phelps, or hate, it was about gathering together and doing something good in the world.

And I do bet it really pisses them off too.

Left in Lowell: cuz why read the Lowell Sun if you don't have to? ;)


[ Parent ]
I remember that episode. (0.00 / 0)
What provoked the Dracut incident was an essay contest in the schools, the topic being influential/admirable women.  The girl who wrote the winning essay chose Ellen DeGeneres as her subject.  The essay was about Ellen's career and I believe did not even mention that Ellen is a lesbian, but it provoked Phelps anyway.  I have been substitute teaching in the Dracut schools for several years and knew the girl.  I remember feeling bad for her because she was not the type who would intentionally court controversy.

[ Parent ]
It looks like (0.00 / 0)
they are really coming this time. There are two protests scheduled earlier in the day and one in Manchester, NH. I bet they are flying into Manchester and then heading down to Boston. I counter-protested them when they were here 3 years ago. That was fun, but it can get nasty. The Phelps-A-Thon will bring a much more positive message.

Thanks for your support!!!


God Hates Signs (6.00 / 3)

Feel bad for the kid though...

.08 Acres
.0000016% of Massachusetts Political Commentary


That is the worst part. (0.00 / 0)
Nothing makes me want to scream more than seeing a small child holding a sign like that.  As the song from South Pacific says: "You've got to be carefully taught to hate."

[ Parent ]
Love that Letter to the Romans (0.00 / 0)
This passage is always cited, but there are two problems with it.

First, they are St. Paul's opinions, to which he is entitled, but with which the rest of us are under no obligation to agree.  Jesus Himself didn't say a word on this matter.

Second, the passage could be read to condemn unspecified unnatural and perverse behaviors, such as promiscuity and gratuitous lust as opposed to being a homosexual.

Of course, there is the whole matter of having been written almost 2000 years ago so the relevance to today is questionable at best anyway.


Romans 1:32 (6.00 / 1)
I don't know if it was you or Phelps, but a word got left out of that passage, and it had me scratching my head wondering what it meant until I went and looked it up elsewhere.

The actual passage is, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Gotta admit, it makes much more sense with the word "pleasure" in there...

--
If you want to live like a Republican, you better vote like a Democrat.Harry Truman


Romans 1:32 (0.00 / 0)
like all verses, comes in many flavors.

Romans 1:32 from assorted different translations.


[ Parent ]
Jeez-is that the best this Nouveau Charles Manson could do? (0.00 / 0)
Having read the whole "relevant passage" per your link, it seems to say nothing whatever about gay people. Bizarre.

[ Parent ]
The Bible requires 'reading in to'.... (6.00 / 2)
... otherwise we'd stone people to death and we'd think Jesus permitted slavery.  Not surprisingly, the interpretation of such a document that needs such 'reading in to' says much about the interpreter.  

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that things are difficult." - Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

[ Parent ]
As a proud Republican (6.00 / 1)
Let me say this guy and this stuff makes me SICK.  Just go away.  Loser.  I hope most Republicans agree with me, around here I suspect they do.  I wonder what makes someone so hateful.

You're off the hook for two reasons (6.00 / 1)
1.) Fact is that Phelps was (is?) a Democrat. 2.) Phelps and his crew are extremist nuts that makes the usual fringe suspects on both sides of the aisle look centrist and moderate by comparison.  

Let me get this straight: Democrats protest war, Republicans protest health care?

[ Parent ]
that's debatable (6.00 / 1)
According to a sister in Topeka, Phelps has run in several Democratic primaries, but mostly to gain a platform.  There's no evidence that he's actually a Democrat in any meaningful sense.  In practice, he's mostly just anti-US, since he 1) supports a theocracy and 2) believes we're "a nation of flag worshipping idolators."

As a further example, he spread rumors of Fred Phelps Jr hosting fund raisers for Al Gore, with Al and Tipper in attendance.  Al vehemently denies this.  It's pretty clearly BS, since Westboro picketed Gore's father's funeral.  Westboro also picketed Bill Clinton's mother's funeral.  'nuf said?

For me the issue is: is he personally attacking other BMGers. I don't think he is, here. He's just using the word "fag" in a way that is insulting to a whole group of people under the rubric of "discussing it." -- Bob Neer  


[ Parent ]
I'm in for a quarter a minute... (5.00 / 1)
but what happens if he hangs out for more than 45 minutes?  I mean, he'd help raise more money for the LGBT cause, but if he hangs out for 5 hours then I'll have ended up donating far more than I had planned.

Screw it.  I hope he protests in Boston all day.  I'll find the money.  I wish we could get him to spend all his time in California... he'd do more to help the reversal of Prop 8 than anyone else could.


I'll Be There (0.00 / 0)
Chris, you've been an inspiration since you came out in your early years. Thanks for stepping up to the plate and rallying people to this.

Everyone who follows GLBT politics should make sure they are present at this protest for Chris' counter-protest. In fact, everyone who would stand up against hate should be there, no matter their differences.


A yes the Democraticly Registered Reverend Phelps. (0.00 / 0)


Don't you mean Democratly? (6.00 / 2)
Please Eabo, try not to forget your own talking points.

[ Parent ]
Is there a reason to... (0.00 / 0)
... point out that he's a Democrat.  Is there an insight you are proposing?  Or are you just baiting in a way that lodger realized was inappropriate?

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that things are difficult." - Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

[ Parent ]
If you are not able to attend (0.00 / 0)
You don't have to physically attend the event to counter this hateful message. We will be holding a huge sign showing the Phelps' clan exactly how much they are helping to raise for LGBT rights. Pledge today: http://drivingequality.com/abo...

Phelps-A-Thon | 20 comments





I support WWF

Political insider ad network Law blog ad network
Advertise Liberally









Powered by: SoapBlox