Phelps, followers tell PSU “God hates fags”

This past Sunday, some followers of the Rev. Fred Phelps arrived from Topeka, Kan., to warn Portland State students that PSU is a fag/dyke propaganda mill and recruiting depot.

“We just came here as a public service to these young people on our own time and our own money to remind these kids it’s not okay to be gay,” Elizabeth Phelps, a daughter of Fred Phelps, said.

“Regardless of what the adults have force fed you all your life, you need to seek scripture on this matter,” she said.

Phelps is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, which opposes the homosexual lifestyle.

Church Congregants and supporters gained some notoriety for attending the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student who was murdered for being gay in 1998. Phelps followers held up signs at the funeral that read “No Fags in Heaven” and “God Hates Fags.”

“We just came here (to PSU) as a public service to these young people on our own time and our own money to remind these kids it’s not okay to be gay,” Elizabeth Phelps, one of Phelps children said.

“Regardless of what the adults have force fed you all your life, you need to seek scripture on this matter,” she said.

Elizabeth Phelps believes that the homosexual lifestyle will destroy your body, damn your soul and doom the nation.

“In one form or another, you can’t turn on your TV or pick up your newspaper without being fed that arsenic about God loving everybody and fags just being an innocent alternative,” she said.

Two of Phelps’ supporters carried U.S. flags that fell onto the pavement.

“This flag stands for two things: the killing of innocent babies in the womb and gay rights. It deserves less respect than I’m giving it now,” said Charles Hockenburger, a Phelps supporter. “What you’ve got going on in this country ever since Sept. 11, 2001, is a die-hard worshipping of this flag. Instead of turning back to God and repenting of their sins what this country has done is galvanized themselves around this flag as though it could do something for them.”

Phelps’ followers did not arrive at PSU without opposition.

ASPSU wrote a statement in opposition of Phelps’ appearance at PSU.

“We cannot, and will not, stand idly by while he preaches hate and violence designed to target the sexual minorities community both on our campus, and in our city. ASPSU stands in solidarity with our sexual minority students and allies, in opposition to Reverend Phelps and his attempts to divide our campus.”

Phelps supporters carried “God Hates Fags” signs and yelled to the students that had gathered across the street

“We give you two months notice, and this is the best you can come up with?” and “This is very boring, where’s all the fags?”

Kestryll Lowery, from Lewis and Clark, decided to try to counter Phelps’ hatred with something more positive.

For every minute that Phelps’ followers were picketing, sponsors donated money to the Sexual Minorities Youth Research Center (SMYRC), a resource center for queer youth for ages 23 and under, It offers counseling, resources for people coming out, free weekly HIV testing and safer sex resources, entirely funded by donations.

Mary Fletcher, a campus rights activist, encountered Phelps and his followers in Lawrence, Kan., where he picketed the funeral of two of her friends.

Fletcher said Phelps looks through obituaries and finds what he considers to be a “suspicious” death. They picket these funerals, as well as gay rights parades and other events. Phelps mobilizes people very well, according to Fletcher.

“He can organize people around issues, and he takes biblical passages and tweaks them so that they sound like something the general public would be interested in,” she said.

Morgan Stimson, a freshman, said that he first encountered Phelps’ supporters when he attended the Colorado AIDS Project after he came out.

“You walk ten miles and you get pledges for support of AIDS and they actually get a lot of money for AIDS research,” Stimson said, “and he lined the streets with at least a thousand people protesting the walk but the thing was just keep walking, don’t listen.”

In the end, Phelps mobilized not only his own supporters but also those against whom he was preaching.

The estimate of money raised for SMYRC was $250.