By Michael Otterman
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Topeka, Kan., a small but notorious extremist group that operates through its Web site, Godhatesfags.com, is organizing the rally. The group plans to picket the school for "teaching kids 'it's OK to be gay'" and to "celebrate the fifth anniversary of Matt Shepard's entry into hell," according to a press release faxed to the school by church members.
Five years ago, Mathew Shepard was abducted and beaten to death in Wyoming by two men because he was gay.
The WBC press release, which is downloadable from the church's Web site, has been widely circulated among Mepham students, according to Brooke Seligson, a Mepham junior. To quell rumors about the upcoming rally, the administration held an assembly this week with members of the Nassau County Police Bias Crimes Unit. The school also sent letters to parents addressing safety concerns many have about the event, said Kate Collins, Bellmore-Merrick Central District spokeswoman.
Experts say the group is coming to take advantage of the national publicity Mepham has received after allegations surfaced last month that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three younger players at a Pennsylvania football training camp in August.
Collins said that Mepham administrators have instructed students to simply ignore the WBC, which frequently pickets events and organizations that it deems "pro-gay" with bright banners and signs reading "God is not mocked," "AIDS is God's curse," and "God hates America."
"They're coming here to provoke us, but we'll give them a wall of silence," said Collins. "We are urging parents and students to do nothing. It's important we all act with dignity. Don't say or do anything. Just walk on by," she said.
The theme of the upcoming rally has shocked and disgusted students and parents alike. "It's really ridiculous," said Kara Barone, a Mepham junior.
"It's sick," added junior Mike Adams.
"We should just ignore them, and they'll go away," said a parent waiting to pick up his daughter from school last Friday. "Hopefully, the whole thing will just blow over."
Representatives of the Anti-Defamation League agree that the best way to deal with the Westboro Baptist Church is to ignore its members. "They thrive on seeking publicity, and they do it by latching onto something of national interest," said New York's regional ADL director, Joel Levy. "They thrive on hatred and look for publicity to further their cause," he said.
The Westboro Baptist Church was founded by in 1967 by The Rev. Fred Waldron Phelps Sr., a disbarred lawyer from Topeka, according to the ADL Web site, which tracks and publishes information about extremist groups in the U.S. The WBC has led thousands of protests and "shows no sign of slowing down," according to the site.
The ADL Web site also said, "Many WBC congregants are related to Phelps by blood. His wife, several of his children and dozens of his grandchildren frequent the church."
Bob Wolfson, the ADL's plains states regional director, said, "[Phelps] and his family are a little cult. They have no shame; they started by protesting the funeral of an AIDS victim."
Wolfson warned that the group is "smart and well educated." Many church members are attorneys, and show up to pickets with cameras and plenty of film, he said. The church is "known to threaten litigation" and "will sue you over a drop of a hat," he said.
"I recommend nobody confront them physically and stay as far away as possible," said Wolfson. "Acknowledge the fact that they are videotaping. You don't want a confrontation."
Nassau County Police will be present at the rally as a precautionary measure, said Detective Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a police spokesman. "Everyone has a right to protest. We have to be objective and let [the WBC] peacefully voice their opinions," he said.
Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg said that he is working with police and school officials to ensure the safety of students and the community. "The media has made this community a lightning rod for groups such as these, and I resent that," he added.
The Westboro Baptist Church's message is strongly anti-homosexual, said Shirley Roper, an attorney for the WBC. "We have a message to deliver -- that it's not 'OK to be gay.' Our job is to get in, deliver it and get out," she said.
Roper, who estimated that 10 to 15 church members will picket on Monday, said that she expects "undisciplined and unlawful conduct" from Bellmore residents. "People in that town, they've been living a lie for so long. They've been feeding on this lie that it's 'OK to be gay,'" she said.
"There's a lawless thing going on there. No discipline," she added.
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), a youth and family service agency, is organizing a counter demonstration in response to the WBC. To take an incident in which several young people have been attacked violently and try and spread their message of hate, will only serve to further re-victimize those who were attacked at Mepham and incite more violence," said David Kilmnick, executive director of LIGALY. This is important -- lets show Fred Phelps and his hate group that they are not welcome on Long Island."
According to the LIGALY Web site, the organization is holding a counter-demonstration meeting on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the LIGALY Community Center in Bay Shore. "[The meeting] will allow concerned youth, families and other community members to prepare large placard signs signaling support of all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students," the Web site said.
Unlike LIGALY, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is not organizing a counter-protest, said Michael Young, GLAAD's associate director of regional media. The organization strongly condemns the WBC, whose actions are "disturbing and disgusting," he said.
No student counter-protest has been planned, either, said junior Brooke Seligson. "Let's show them that we're more dignified," she said. Seligson plans to walk silently past the WBC picketers. "I'll be wearing a Mepham sweatshirt, a Mepham button and jeans with the word 'tolerance' written on them," she said.
