Phelps-A-Thon

Chris Mason leads a Phelps-A-Thon counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church

Phelps-A-Thon.com is a Boston-based, pro-LGBT website working to counteract the message spread by the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and their leader, Rev. Fred Phelps. It works by channeling passions against WBC into donations for groups targeted by the WBC's pickets.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Phelps-A-Thon.com assists groups that are being picketed by WBC in setting up a Telethon type of counter-protest. Through the “Phelps-A-Thon.com” website, supporters are able to pledge online to donate a certain amount of money for every minute WBC pickets against a specific target, usually LGBT or Jewish groups.[8] The longer they protest, the more money they raise for the cause they are demonstrating against.[9][10][11]

History

Phelps-A-Thon.com is run by LGBT-activist, Chris Mason. The website arose when Fred Phelps from the Westboro Baptist Church came to Boston to protest a local production of The Laramie Project. The event raised over $4,600 for the pro-LGBT project, Driving Equaity.[12][13] After this first Phelps-A-Thon, people from around the country, upon learning they were going to be picketed by WBC, started contacting Chris, asking for help in setting up their own Phelps-A-Thons.[14] The Phelps-A-Thon.com website was created in an effort to helps local activists conduct the counter-protests in their own communities.

During a trek across the country to promote LGBT equality, Chris Mason, founder of Phelps-A-Thon.com stopped in Topeka, Kansas to visit the Westboro Baptist Church. Concealing his activist identity, he sat down for a conversation with Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps, to get a better understanding of the group's mission. In a video clip of the interview, Chris asks Shirley her opinion of the Phelps-A-Thon counter-protests.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Cantabrigians counter anti-gay church protest". Wickedlocal.com. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  2. ↑ "Hundreds protest anti-gay, anti-Jewish group's arrival". Projo.com. 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  3. ↑ "Phelps-a-Thon Fundraising at CRLS". Cambridgema.gov. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  4. ↑ "Anti-gay church targets Boston Latin School". Baywindows.com. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  5. ↑ Groopman, Sofia E. (2009-03-16). "Cambridge Unifies To Protest Westboro Church". Thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  6. ↑ "Anti-gay Hate Group Outnumbered at Grant High School". Blogs.wweek.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  7. ↑ Carr, Jordan. "Countdown to Westboro Baptist Church at Stanford: Meet Fred Phelps". Blog.stanfordreview.org. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  8. ↑ God Hates Fags
  9. ↑ "Phelps-a-Thon at Boulder High School pays it forward". Westword.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  10. ↑ "Gunn holds Phelps-A-Thon in response to anti-gay protester". Lahstalon.org. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  11. ↑ "Anti-gay group protests N.H. law". Thedartmouth.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  12. ↑ Melloy, Kilian (2008-12-07). "Edge Boston". Edge Boston. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  13. ↑ "Weekly Dig". Digboston.com. 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  14. ↑ Phelps-A-Thon Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ "Chris Mason interviews Shirley Phelps of the "God Hates Fags" Westboro Baptist Church". YouTube. 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
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