Despite initial reports from Orlando Police that the hate group has no plans to visit, it appears Westboro Baptist Church is, indeed, Orlando bound.
Rebekah Phelps-Davis, daughter of deceased Westboro leader Fred Phelps, sent a letter to Orlando Police Chief John Mina confirming that the group – infamous for picketing funerals with signs that read “God Hates Fags” – plans to protest at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke 10:15 – 11 a.m. June 18.
Christopher “Drew” Leinonen was killed by the shooter at Pulse during the massacre June 12, and his funeral is scheduled for St. Luke’s at 11 a.m.
“We recognize that our message, though once quite traditional, will not be well received by some factions of our society, and our experience over the years indicates that sometimes people who oppose our message are tempted to try violence to silence it,” Phelps-Davis’ letter reads, before informing Mina that they plan to film the protest and requesting a designated zone between WBC and any counter-protestors.
“I know that the OPD does not want to see a lot of people down there, but I think the families would appreciate that support,” says former Orange County Commissioner and state rep Linda Stewart, adding that a few members of the hate group attended UCF’s vigil for the Pulse victims, “they’re like the scouts.”
Terry DeCarlo, executive director of The GLBT Center of Central Florida, says they’ve secured a permit to counter-protest.
“We are asking that the community form a counter protest to block out the WBC at this location. Please remember that this organization funds itself by antagonizing grieving communities and subjecting them to hate speech in order to generate lawsuits,” DeCarlo stated in a media release.
There is a closed Facebook group titled “Human Chain Link for Pulse Victims” where locals are discussing counter-protest options, including wearing giant white angel wing to block the view of Westboro’s picket signs. Counter-protestors deployed that tactic against Westboro in 1998, during the funeral of Matthew Shepard, who was killed in an anti-gay hate crime.
Read Westboro’s full letter below:
