Westboro Baptist Church announces plans to picket at Sac State
Photo via Americasroof / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
The site of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to picket at Sacramento State on Tuesday over the University’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
May 6, 2018
The Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to picket at Sacramento State on Tuesday over the University’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
A news release sent out by the Westboro Baptist Church said the PRIDE Center at Sac State “cutivate(s) sin” by supporting “the so-called ‘LGBTQIA’ crowd.”
The news release also criticized the use of rainbow symbols by participants in the Out of the Darkness campus walk.
The church is known for targeting LGBTQ people, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and soldiers in its protests. In the past, the church has praised tornados and earthquakes and members have picketed funerals, such as for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
As word of the Westboro Baptist Church’s plans spread on social media, some Sac State students began planning counter-protests.
A Twitter post by Jose Arias-Ruiz, the recently-elected Vice President of Academic Affairs for Associated Students, Inc, called on Sac State students to “show up for trans youth and queer folks.”
“I just found out today that westboro baptist church is coming to Sac State next Tuesday to protest our Pride Center and I’m literally disgusted,” Arias-Ruiz wrote. “We’ll be organizing next week for those who want to show up in solidarity please come out!”
The church plans to be at Sac State from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
I just found out today that westboro baptist church is coming to Sac State next Tuesday to protest our Pride Center and I’m literally disgusted. We’ll be organizing next week for those who want to show up in solidarity please come out!!! 🗣🗣
— josé (@cancerbaby831) May 4, 2018
Tim • May 8, 2018 at 10:13 am
The Westboro Baptists are many things but they are not violent. In fact, there’s a good chance they’ll be no-shows.
Probably the best strategy is to hold a counter demonstration on the other side of campus.
Ryan • May 7, 2018 at 9:49 am
Will Sac State PD be present or will other safety procedures be taken to ensure those who identify in the LGBT+ community will not be harmed? Where will they be? (For those who don’t want to be near the issue, if they know the location then maybe they can arrange to keep the distance between the WBC and them large enough.