The hate group, WBC (Westboro Baptist ‘Church’) showed up, earlier this year, to picket a Santa Monica High School after the school publicly embraced a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) environment. When WBC arrived, they got a big surprise. The Santa Monica High School district’s Board of Education caught wind of WBC’s threat to picket, and sent out an open letter to the students and community. The community showed up, and it looks like they had a good time. Some of the counter signs to Westboro’s “God Hates…” were:

“God Cares for All Creation,”“Ain’t Nobody Got Time for Hate” and “God Hates People Who Say They Know Who God Hates.” The crowd held hands, waved flags and cheered.





Here’s the Video:



(Video: Soundtrack: John Lennon, Give Peace A Chance)

The WBC group formed in 1991 under the direction of ‘Pastor’ Fred Phelps. They came into national spotlight in 1998 when they were featured on CNN, after the WBC hate group picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man from Laramie, Wyoming who was murdered because of his homosexuality. Since then, the WBC has attracted attention for picketing the funerals of military men and women who died having served our country. Westboro claims since the military now embraces gay rights, all who serve are all damned to hell. To give example, their website is called, GodHatesFags.com. On their site, they claim to have picketed over 50,000 funerals.

These days, the WBC is having more and more trouble spreading their hate. Banned in the UK, Westboro Baptist Church caught the attention of, Anonymous, in December when WBC threatened to picket the funerals of the children who were killed in the Sandy Hook massacre. WBC did not show. Then the Westrboro hate gang threatened to picket the funeral of Krystle Campbell. Krystle Campbell was one of three victims who died in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Anonymous again jumped in, brand-jacked WBC’s Facebook account while sending them a subtle message. Teamsters Local Union #174 also got involved and beckoned to the WBC group, “Show your face!”

Westboro Baptist Church opted not take the Teamsters up on their challenge. I smiled as I typed the last sentence. Probably the best decidsion for them.

Sometimes I wonder if evil people like the Westboro Baptist Church hate group exist in the world, to showcase the many beautiful acts of human strength, hope, and spirit we see in others.

For more information about LGBT hate crimes and what you can do:

Hate Crime Prevention Guide And Tool Kit

(The author, Leslie Salzillo, is a political commentator, activist, diarist, and a visual artist. She writes diaries in Daily Kos and began contributing to AddictingInfo.org in March 2013)