Baptist gay bashers to protest here

By Kevin Woster, Journal Staff Writer

RAPID CITY - Members of a conservative Kansas church known for its strident condemnations of homosexuals are planning to picket in Rapid City next month to protest city Alderman Tom Murphy's recent revelation that he will have a sex-change operation.

Murphy said in response that he wouldn't be affected by the protest but might chat with the pickets or bring them lemonade and snacks.

The Rev. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., confirmed Thursday that church members would picket June 27-28 in Rapid City to protest Murphy's lifestyle, as well as the apparent acceptance he has received in the community.

A news release issued by Phelps said members would "picket the sodomite whorehouse masquerading as Rapid City, S.D., unthankful ingrate Alderman Tom Murphy and five dog-kennels/leper colonies calling themselves churches for creating the Satanic zeitgeist wherein the wretched citizens spit in God's face by applauding a pervert for going public about his sin."

The news release listed those churches to be picketed as Calvary Baptist Church, the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, South Canyon Lutheran Church and First United Methodist Church.

Phelps, 74, made national headlines when he tried unsuccessfully to erect a monument in a Casper, Wyo., city park proclaiming that Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death because he was gay, had gone to hell.

Phelps and his supporters have pushed for anti-gay monuments in other cities and operate a Web site at www.godhatesfags.com.

Phelps said he had never been to Rapid City or any of the churches mentioned. But he said Thursday that his supporters closely follow statements and policies of individual denominations and that the five targeted churches were "among the most queer-friendly."

He said the city obviously supports gay and sinful lifestyles and was openly hostile toward a group of Westboro members who stopped to picket U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle's field office in Rapid City.

Phelps couldn't recall exactly when the incident occurred but believed it was during the summer of 2003 or 2002. He said the Westboro group was on its way to Casper to stage a protest when it stopped in Rapid City.

The church sends a protest group to Wyoming every year on the day Shepard died "to celebrate his entry into hell," Phelps said.

"We were going that way and decided to pick off Daschle," he said.

Members also might have taken a side trip to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial, he said.

Phelps said the pickets were abused verbally and "jostled and pushed" by counter-demonstrators until police arrived "so our people got out of there alive."

Daschle staffers contacted Thursday said they recalled a small protest by the Phelps group but weren't aware of any substantial conflict with counter-protesters.

Capt. Steve Allender of the Rapid City Police Department said he remembered the protest and the response it provoked.

"They were confronted, I believe, by one young man, kind of a mouthpiece, who didn't like what they were doing, and maybe a couple of his friends," Allender said. "Some words were exchanged and possibly some threats, and we were called out there, and it was resolved. There were no charges, nor any basis for charges."

Allender said he wasn't surprised that the protest ignited an emotional response from a "loud-mouthed" onlooker.

"They come out here preaching their hatred, and then they cry foul when somebody preaches hatred back," Allender said.

Phelps and his group are well-organized and experienced at picketing, Allender said. He said police would monitor the protests next month.

Phelps said he didn't know if he would come to Rapid City for the protest. But the group plans to picket the five targeted churches June 27 and the city council and Murphy on June 28.

When told Thursday about the planned protests, Murphy laughed and said he might bring lemonade and snacks for the pickets.

Murphy said Phelps was "just a radical out there trying to make a name for himself" but that the protests wouldn't affect his personal lifestyle or his sense of comfort in Rapid City.

Murphy said in a recent Associated Press story he had been gratified by the number of people in Rapid City who respected his decision on the sex change, even if they didn't completely understand it. And some have openly supported it, he said.

Murphy doesn't expect that to change because of Phelps.

"Anytime he talks, I think he's bad for his cause," Murphy said. "Anybody who wants to put up a gravestone saying that somebody went to hell, he's not a prophet or pastor of God. If anything, the religions should be running away from him."

The Rev. Steve Evans, pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, said Phelps' plans and statements were "sad and troubling" and did not represent the church at large. Evans said the Southern Baptist denomination has clearly stated that the Bible shows homosexual behavior to be sinful. But the way Phelps approaches the issue is hardly Christian, Evans said.

"This man is not speaking for us. It's not being Christ-like, to me. That's why I think it's very sad," Evans said. "But if someone wants to be that aggressive and, quite honestly, hateful, we will pray for him and his group, that they would take on the character of Christ.

"When I look at the life of Christ, I could see him inviting Tom Murphy to have a meal with him, to talk about the truths of life," Evans said.

Phelps said he began his "picketing ministry" in 1991 to protest "flagrant homosexual activity close to our church" and has expanded it across the nation.

Phelps said he is planning to picket the funeral of Christian evangelist Billy Graham, who is still living but is "going to die soon."

Phelps said Graham has "collaborated with the homosexual lobby."

That protest in North Carolina will be "a massive event," Phelps said.

The Rapid City protest will be something less than that and probably will involve 10 to 20 protesters, he said.

They could have some counter-protesters, if Charlotte Walling of Rapid City can shape her angry reaction at Phelps into a group response.

"We're trying to arrange something. I'm just so angry right now that I can't get my hands around it," she said.

Walling, a Christian, said extremists such as Phelps spread hate and damage the image of more charitable Christian organizations.

"I don't understand what makes some people think they can decide how other people should live. I don't think anybody can say what God thinks about this."

Rapid City Baptist Bob Ellis disagrees with that, saying that it's clear in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin. But Ellis also disagrees with the hateful approach to the issue that is reflected by Phelps' public statements and Web site messages. They don't represent the Christian attitude, Ellis said.

"His (Phelps') approach seems characterized by hatred," Ellis said. "The overall impact of that, I think, is detrimental to what the main church of Jesus Christ wants to do, which is bring the good news of Jesus Christ to everybody."

Sgt. Mike Thompson of the Casper Police Department said past demonstrations by Phelps and his supporters have not caused any major problems. Thompson said authorities give Phelps and counter-protesters clear instructions on where they can be and how they should behave.

"As long as they're abiding by the rules, we'll protect their freedom of speech," Thompson said.

As for the Rapid City protest next month, he said "good luck."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com