As many of you know by now, a Kansas-based hate group, known as the Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps and his family, is planning to demonstrate in Sacramento on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6. Its targets will be area synagogues and Jewish organizations, two local high schools with strong GSA’s, our State Capitol, and a theater production of Rent.
The Jewish Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation have specifically asked that there be no counter-protests at their locations. Please respect the wishes of these organizations, both of which have been strong supporters in our fight for LGBTQI equality.
Additionally, Sacramento law enforcement officials, the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, leaders of numerous other LGBTQI organizations, and several local faith leaders are asking community members not to engage this group in any way, nor respond to requests for media comment.
The Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center invites students and their parents and guardians who have been affected by the Phelps group’s demonstrations to gather at the Center from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, February 5. Center’s youth facilitators will lead discussions and LGBTQI-affirmative activities in a safe and supportive environment.
Fred Phelps has stated publicly that every time the group is covered on TV news, money pours into its coffers. A further tactic the group uses to fund its travel and operations is to deliberately provoke violent or aggressive responses from counter-protesters so that it can sue.
A strategy of positive non-engagement is intended to deny this hate group what it seeks most: media attention and the donations generated by that media coverage. We urge you not to participate in any counter demonstration or other actions.
Please respect our desire to avoid attracting unwelcome media attention to this group’s activities by sharing this message only selectively with supporters and friends and by not publishing it online or distributing it to media outlets. Thank you!
