Monday, November 24, 2008

New Day #333

Having finally opened my show, finished teaching and submitted the first ten chapters of my next book, what I really wanted to do today was sleep in and watch old movies all day. But then my friend Fran from the Seattle Mystery Bookshop alerted me that representatives from hatemonger Fred Phelps's church in Kansas were coming to Oregon to protest, among other things, the queer resource center at Portland State, the Swedish and Finnish consulates (don't ask) and little Silverton, Oregon, which recently made history when it elected the first transgendered mayor in the United States, a cross-dresser with breast implants named Stu Rasmussen. The e-mail alert also requested that counter-protesters wear dresses in support of Stu.

I figured I could sleep when I'm dead.

I was sincerely hoping to see a whole town of people in skirts--an "I am Spartacus" moment--but most dressed for the cold, including Stu himself:



But the outfit did land me in the Oregonian for the sixth time in seven days, which is just one less than Garfield.

More importantly, over a hundred people came out--



--angry grandparents, high school students who cut class, and this pair who expressed their opinion of Phelps's views by eating green oatmeal, then swallowing Ipecac to induce vomiting.



Disgusting, I know, but not nearly as gross as the four protesters:



It was distressing that they were so young, but 60 out of Phelps's 70 followers are related to him. So I got to see for myself what happens when cousins marry.

And, yes, those are American flags they're standing on.

7 comments:

therese patrick, author said...

Well, I'm a bit overwhelmed right now. I'm also drinking wine and should have crawled in bed an hour ago. But what I've read is too much.

You got a stellar review of HOLIDAZED, toured Target from a wheelchair, attended a rally where only 4 potential bigots showed up when over a 100 humans were having a grand time celebrating our individuality of choice?

In only two days?
AWESOME!

Please post information on how to get tickets for "Holidazed". I already know I want it to run for a decade or two.

David S said...

Re: Phelps's protesters...WTF?!?

Great news about Holidazed. Can't wait to see it!

Jeff said...

Words can't express the stupidity of those signs.

Sue KuKu said...

I heard about this on the radio this morning when Stu was interviewed. He said these protestors come from far away and, if they're told not to protest or to do so off to the side, they claim their Freedom of Speech rights are infringed. They then try to sue to get a bunch of money. Lovely people, huh?

And the fact that they're STANDING on American flags on the ground leaves me speechless.

Fran said...

Thank you for going, Marc! You're a total STAR!

Some friends of mine are part of a motorcycle group that makes it their mission to attend whatever military funerals Phelps is protesting here in the Northwest, so the families of the soldiers who have died don't have to be subjected to that kind of hatred. They were heartbroken that they couldn't be there to stand with you (although I don't think Mike would've been in a dress; or Eunice for that matter. Too cold on a motorcycle).

And congratualtions on 10 chapters done! I can't wait to read it!

dpaste said...

Green vomit guy looks kind of cute.

Yeah, I know, priorities. I just can't help myself.

Anonymous said...

I read that the girl with the "God Hates You" sign is 16. Sixteen. Shouldn't she be in school, learning how to think critically? If I believed in hell I'd think there was a special place for people who corrupt children in any way, including teaching them to hate. "You've got to be taught/Before it's too late/Before you are six/or seven or eight/to hate all the people your relatives hate/You've got to be carefully taught."