# Topeka voters pass gay rights ordinance, flip bird to Phelpsites. Go Baker! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 2, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572 "2005-03-02T08:44:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/1 "2005-03-02T08:44:46Z")
[http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/03/030205phelps.htm](http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/03/030205phelps.htm) : > [@](#): > > (Topeka, Kansas) The virulent anti-gay Fred Phelps clan was dealt a double blow in the group’s hometown Tuesday. Topeka voters rejected a bid to repeal the city’s gay rights ordinances and turned down an attempt by one of the clan leaders to gain a seat on city council currently held by a lesbian. I know you were working to defeat the repeal, and I just wanted to say congratulations! Nice to know there’s such a strong gay rights contingent in the heartland, on Phelpsie’s front doorstep. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/2 "2005-03-02T08:58:20Z")
I’m not an outspoken activist or anything, but damn, I like seeing hatemongers like Phelps get beaten. This is the sort of thing that inspires me to do something other than bitch about the policies and laws I don’t like in my own state. Like that recent vote here in MO that specifically defines marriage being between a man and a woman (thus denying gays the right to marry). I bitched about it here in a Pit thread, but didn’t do anything. Maybe it’s time to get some signatures together and write a Congressman or something. Hell, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that one of our basic rights is the pursuit of happiness. How can happiness be pursued when the government tells you it’s illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/3 "2005-03-02T11:04:50Z")
Thank you **matt\_mcl**! I was at the watch party for Tiffany Muller, who came in second out of four in the primary race for her city council district, and the mood was upbeat. She may not win in the general election in April, when it’s just her and the other candidate, Harmon, but at least the rights repeal ordinance did not pass. Muller pulled in about 70% as many votes as Harmon, but Jael Phelps got less than 5% of the total votes counted in that district. So it will take some work for Tiffany Muller to keep her seat in April. and there is a proposed amendment to the constitution of Kansas to define marriage as between a man and a woman, to “protect it’s sanctity” The fight is not over, but damn, it _did_ feel good last night! Watching the local news it was amusing to see one spokesperson for a “YES” campaign try to distance himself from the Westboro Baptist church, and the Phelps. “Well, we don’t approve of his tactics, but once the ordinance was on the ballot we came on board is support of it.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/4 "2005-03-02T12:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The virulent anti-gay Fred Phelps clan was dealt a double blow And Fred was secretly thrilled. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/5 "2005-03-03T02:49:06Z")
Ha ha! I can imagine that ears are blistering in the Phelps compound. That and the furniture is probably covered in spittle. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/6 "2005-03-03T06:17:30Z")
Congrats, Baker! well done! ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topeka-voters-pass-gay-rights-ordinance-flip-bird-to-phelpsites-go-baker/292572/7 "2005-03-03T08:29:09Z")
Most of this stuff is off my radar (or is it gaydar :D), but I am happy that this happened. I only wish that my home state hadn’t voted to ban gay marriage by a ten to one margin… ☹ I don’t have much personal stake as none of my close friends are gay. Of course I have gay friends, but anyways. But anyway, its right, so it makes me happy.