The southeast corner of Cedar and Tulare streets, next to Roosevelt High School, was on Monday afternoon when a small group of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, showed up with anti-gay and anti-abortion banners. , filled with hundreds of LGBTQ supporters wearing rainbow colors. signs.
Until that moment, the busy intersection in southeast Fresno looked like a street party with music and balloons. Pro-LGBTQ banners were hung on the high school fence along Tulare and Cedar streets in support of students targeted by Westboro protesters.
Community members who came together to support Roosevelt Schools included local clergy, Fresno Teachers Association leaders, and two candidates running for the Roosevelt Area Council seat on the Fresno Unified School Board. was included. Community advocate Jennifer Cruz said the turnout of Fresno’s gay community and its allies was one of the largest in recent memory.
According to a news release from the City of Westboro, the selection of Roosevelt as the target of the protest was thanks to the school’s students, PRISM and Set Apart: Christian Club. Protesters in Westboro plan to demonstrate Thursday morning at Reedley High School, which they chose because it is home to the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) and Catholics in Action Club. Mr. Westboro described the student club as “sodomy and pseudo-Christian.”
For more than 30 years, members of the Westboro church have participated in protests targeting homosexuals and fallen military personnel, and have been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, with the slogan “God is F. represented by “hate”.
Cruz said he suspects they came to Fresno because the Central Valley is a conservative region of California.
“But I think what we’re really seeing in Fresno, the fifth largest city in California, is becoming very inclusive,” she said. “Even though we’re 40 to 50 years behind the Bay Area and Los Angeles, we have a very supportive community. And Fresno is about loving your neighbor.”
always surrounded
When a small number of Westboro supporters finally arrived at the intersection Monday afternoon, they were quickly surrounded by counter-protesters who tried to use rainbow-colored umbrellas to block the view of Westbourne supporters’ signs, and were the first to cross Tulare. , then followed them across the Cedar.
When they returned to the median, they were warned by the Fresno Police Department to continue to the corner, as officers on motorcycles and patrol cars were monitoring the incident.
“Don’t touch them,” Cruz warned counter-protesters, using a megaphone to be heard over the traffic noise. “That’s what they want.”
The Westboro group never crossed to the corner of Roosevelt, instead following reporters and protesters through Tulare and back to a van parked on 11th Street.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, whose late father Fred started protesting decades ago, explained why the church held the protest as counter-protesters crowded around her.
She said the group was targeting high school students “because there they are taught not to obey God,” as counter-protesters nearby chanted “love wins.”
“The Bible says that in these days before the second coming of Christ, children are the oppressors and women are in control of the children,” Phelps-Roper said. “That’s the whole picture of this country, not to mention the rest of it, and it’s terrible.
“You see destructive events happening on a daily basis. Have you been here long? How long have you lived in this country?” she asked a Latino news reporter.
Community support was strong
Westboro protesters never crossed into the southeast corner, where the largest crowd of LGBTQ supporters awaited. Among them was the Rev. Susie Ward of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Visalia, one of the many clergy who attended the event.
“Jesus’ real message is about love, and attacking or marginalizing groups of people does not spread God’s love. That’s why I’m here.” Ward said.
Political rivals Elizabeth Jonathon Rosas and Joseph Aquino, who are running for the Roosevelt regional seat, have found common ground in supporting Roosevelt students and the community.
“I’m here for the students,” Jonathon Rosas said. “Fresno Unified is a safe place for all kids, and I want to show our students that no matter who they are or who they are, they are supported. They are part of this community and are loved.”
Aquino, who is openly gay, said he was pleased with the large number of supporters who gathered on the street corner next to the high school.
I think this is just proof that our community is united in arms and will not let anything stand in our way. It’s really moving and it touches my heart.” “This is not a weak community. As you can see, we are a strong community. And despite our differences, all of us here are united for one thing. It’s about protecting LGBTQ parents, teachers, educators, and most importantly, our students.”
