With dozens of protests planned for the rapidly approaching Democratic National Convention, it’s only natural that America’s most infamous church had to hop on the bandwagon.
The Westboro Baptist Church, known for its signs with the slogans “God hates f–s” and protesting soldiers’ funerals, announced that it will be present during the Democratic National Convention. Westboro’s application for a permit with the city to hold what they describe as a “peaceful religious demonstration featuring signs, banners, placards, flags and music” attended by 10 people outside the Wells Fargo Center on July 26 and 27 is still pending. While it remains unclear if they will protest side-by-side with the thousands of Bernie Sanders supporters and Black Lives Matter activists, among others, who are expected to protest as top Democrats gather, they have scheduled another stop in Philadelphia. The church’s members announced recently that they will be picketing outside the Mazzoni Center, a health-care provider for the LGBT community. The Mazzoni Center sparked the ire of Westboro, which describes the center on its website as an “open, running sore of sodomite filth,” for providing health services to LGBT individuals.
Westboro, a small extremist Christian sect based in Kansas,often doesnot show up to protestafter announcing them and getting publicity. But either way, more than 150 people have already RSVPed to attend a quickly planned pro-LGBT counter-protest to support the Mazzoni Center and block Westboro’s message from reaching any patients there that day. “Come protest the silliest protesters of all time!” the protest’s Facebook event page stated.
The church has also announced planned protests outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, set to take place on July 19 and 20.
They say they will be outside the Mazzoni Center on July 26 at 2:15 p.m.
Pro-gay counter-protest to meet Westboro Baptist Church during DNC
Patrick Hagerty/Metro file photo
