Unless you follow the goings-on of Broadway musical theatre fairly closely, you might not know who Sam Harris is. He was a winner on Star Search back in the mid-eighties (eighty-four, I think) and has gone on since then to perform in several Broadway musicals. He’s also gay and he hails from right here in my hometown––little old Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
According to Fred Phelps, Sam raised $50,000 to start a gay-straight alliance at the high school, so Phelps and his “church” are going to protest at the school on Monday morning. They’re also protesting several of the town’s churches (including Broadway Baptist Church, which I grew up attending) because some local gay kid had an article written about him in The Washington Post, although how that makes the local churches “fag-enablers”, Fred doesn’t explain very clearly.
I am so freaking excited. I plan to attend both the protest at the high school and the one at Broadway Baptist. I’m also planning to take pictures, but think my camera’s been broken for some time, so I’ll have to buy one of those disposable ones and hope I can get the the photos back on a disk because, of course, I want to post them online. I’m hoping I’ll get to exchange pleasantries with Mr. Phelps, but he’s already asked the Sand Springs police to be there to protect him and his clan, so I may not be able to get close to him.
I’ll make as detailed a post as is warranted when I get back from the protest on Sunday and then again on Monday.
P. S. Is it just me, or in this picture, does Phelps look like that creepy ghost preacher from Poltergeist II?
Oh my God! That’s the first time, I think, that I’ve actually seen a picture of Phelps. He reminds me more of the Tall Man (the undertaker guy) in Phantasm, but no matter what, he excells far beyond creepy and into ‘run-and-take-your-children-with-you-before-he-eats-them’ territory.
You know, you’re right—he’s like a cross between the two.
Oh, and I forgot to ask––can someone lend me some space online to post the pictures once I’ve got them developed? Twickster told me that there was an SDMB photo album on Yahoo. Can someone help me set up a place for my photos there (I’ve never used Yahoo Photos before)?
Take it from me,** don’t** try to get close to Fred and the rest of the WBC. They have a penchant for violence. Some years ago they picketed the church I was then a member of. They were on the sidewalk, and our pastor came near them on the church lawn, to erect a sign that said “God’s Love Speaks Loudest” Claiming that he tried to attack them with a hammer, several of their young men took him down and sat on him. Then later they brought assault charges against him.
I’ve followed Phred’s “career” for years, since we are both residents of Topeka, Kansas. The WBC pickets the church I attend about two Sunday’s out of three. Back when there was a lot of counter picketing against him I took literally hundreds of photos, of them and of those against him.
Fred himself may not even show. He’s rumored to be quite ill, and most of the time it’s just family members that picket.
Please keep us updated! I’d love to hear how things go!
Odd…I was just thinking the other day if Sam Harris would have won American Idol if he were younger and just starting out. I remember well his long stint on that show…although his over-use of his one-trick vocal endings was getting a little annoying after show 45 or whatever. Still…thought he was good, and didn’t know he had “come out”. Missed that edition of The Advocate I guess.
Regarding Phelps…they like to do a whole hooplah everywhere they go, but usually they don’t show up, or it is a few toothless idiots with a few picket signs.
Still…I have to be honest and, as a Gay man, I actually like Phelps. Why?
Because even in small towns, and even in heavy-duty-right-wing territory, he is considered SUCH a nutcase that even the most conservative press admits he is perhaps going too far. He likes to attend funerals of Gay men who died of AIDS and say they deserved it. That even rankles the most homophobic of “normal” citizens, and especially if he travelled far to do it.
But by all means, go and be a part of it! It is a very subtle way of allowing people who might want to say a positive thing about Gay and Lesbians to at least admit they aren’t THAT phobic.
Well, they didn’t show up at our church this morning. They did go to all of the other churches on their schedule, though, and even went to one that wasn’t on it. I guess Broadway Baptist doesn’t enable enough fags to incur their wrath.
But they’re definitely in town and as far as I know, they’re still planning to picket the high school tomorrow morning. And I’ll be there with bells on.
I’ve mentioned this elsewhere on the boards, but I work at a hotel, the Hampton Inn in Sand Springs. Over the last few days, there’s been some discussion about where the Phelpses will be staying while they’re in town. I doubt they’ll come to our hotel because we’re the most expensive of the three in town, but our Assistant General Manager wrote in the daily log book as a sort of memo to the rest of the staff, “Anyone calling for Frank or Greg Phelps or Harshboro [sic] Church out of Topeka, Kansas. Don’t Rent. They are protesting against the church that allow gays to attend.” One of our night auditors, who’s a Baptist pastor, wrote, “So we are protesting them? that’s discremination [sic]”.
So, anyway, I guess I’d better go do some actual work for while. When I was in training, I had to do a lot of computer exercises—mock check-ins and things like that—which each generated a print out, which I put in a folder. Well, they’ve lost my folder, so I have to do it all again. Tonight.
Cool, Midnight Radio, that your hotel would not rent to Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church folks. I don’t know if I will ever come to your town, but if I do I sure will stay in your place! Promise!
I figure they must be out in force down there, because there weren’t any picket signs at my church today. They often split up into two or three groups, to cover more Sunday services. My father and I joke about it. If you get a big group, you get “The varsity”. If it’s a middlin’ number, it’s “junior varsity” If it’s just a couple of adults and their sad looking kids, you get “The B team”
The place where a good number of the Phelp’s live is what is snarkily referred to as their “compound” They own all but one or two houses in the block, and erected a tall privacy fence that connects all their properties. It’s hilarious to see how the fence has to do several right angle turns to exclude the one non-Phelps property along 12th Street. I’ve often wondered who lives in that house, and why they stay, being almost squeezed out by the WBC. My fantasy has been that it’s someone gay, who enjoys flicking WBC sensibilities by living in “the belly of the beast” But I don’t really know.
If anyone at your school decides to do further write up on this incident, and needs Topeka photos, let me know. I have tons!
Y’know, I’ve heard the rumour and such about Phelps, but i’ve never really been to his website before today. I think I need a shower.
I’d like to see him and his band of human shitebags protest a biker rally, as vehemently as they protest gay folks. Seriously, I know it’s against the rules, but I wish that perhaps Phelps and his associates and people who believe the way they do would no longer contiune to not live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker
If anyone at your school decides to do further write up on this incident, and needs Topeka photos, let me know. I have tons!
Oh, I’n not in school, I’m 28. But thanks for the offer.
Oh my, I’m sorry to have misjudged your age. :smack:
I wonder if, when he leaves this mortal coil, that there will be people with placards and megaphones outside HIS funeral. Turn his whole modus operandi back on him. It can’t be too far away.
I was taking a human sexuality course at KU, and when we did the homosexuality part of the course, we were warned by the prof that Fred et al would probably be outside the doors of the hall, as they knew when this part of the course was taught, and would try to accost us outside. I was beside myself. That was my introduction to Mr. Phelps and his warped idea. They weren’t there, but I found it scary how just the thought of him being there is akin to gay bashing: keeping them afraid, and keeping us afraid because we were…gasp…enablers.
A few years ago when the Harlem Boys’ Choir played the Lied Center at KU (Hi Professor Folk!) Phelpsy was out in force. A few of my friends were on exchange from Scotland and we had failed to warn them that there would be people protesting… I don’t even see them anymore when I go to events.
The protesters started singing as my friends were staring at them slackjawed. So, my buddy Liam took out a handful of change and tossed at them like they were street performers.
He was nearly beaten by three burly men who were subdued by other protesters. Liam thought this was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
