Wednesday, April 22, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 3
Picketers base hatred on Bible
By John Blakely Wilson and Sara Anderson sanderson@kansan.com
Kansas staff writers
The Rev. Fred Phelps and protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka picketed before the first event of Pride Week last night.
The event, "Cut'n' Paste," performed by transgendered actress Kate Bornstein, took place last night at the Big 12 Room in the Kansas Union. Bornstein's monologues explore gender roles and sexuality.
Protesters held signs with messages such as "Gay Hawks," "God Hates Fags" and "Fag U."
Phelps said the group objected to the performance because of the speaker's sexual orientation. He said the group would protest events all week.
"We heard there's a dyke over there and she's part of what they call gay pride week," Phelps said. "The sodomy agenda is not something that should be forwarded at taxpayer-funded universities."
Katie Shay, Leawood freshman and
Queers and Allies president, which is sponsoring the event, said that Phelps' presence was expected.
"Phelps will protest anything that gets him publicity, and we always expect him," she said. "He left early last year at the Brown Bag Lunch Drag, and it was weird because there was no sense of nastiness. It allowed us to actually enjoy ourselves. I'm all for free speech, but I don't find him any better than the KKK."
Josh Clark, Dallas senior, said he did not think that hatred was the way to express opinions.
"Whether you agree with it or not, the right way to go about it is not to come out here and demean somebody else," Clark said.
Shay said that Phelps' demonstrations helped contribute to the problem of homophobia in the community.
"It's horrible because people look at him and say that he is so homophobic, she said. "So when they look at themselves they say, 'I'm not like that, so I must not be homophobic,' and it allows people to get away with stuff. If queers spend all their time fighting him, then a lot of little stuff gets ignored."
Phelps said that although the lesbi-
gay-transgendered community was
becoming more accepted in society, his
demonstrations were valid, and he
quoted the Bible in justifying his
protests.
"But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by his generation ... but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur form heaven and destroyed all of them. It will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed," he said.
"It's disgusting," she said. "Nobody is protecting against him, but he hates people. I don't think God would have created something he hates. It makes me sick because you can disagree with homosexuality, but no one should hate like that."
Melissa Lynch. Naperville, Ill., freshman, said she thought the protesters were revolting.
Shay said that something positive could come out of Phelps' visit to the University.
"It gets the queer community and Q&A to join together in an effort to battle the hatred," she said. "But I think him not being there would be more positive."
For Phelps, doom with a view
By John Blakely Wilson Kanson staff writer
I spoke with Rev. Fred Phelps after he delivered a sermon on a cold Sunday morning in March. He shared the reasoning behind his protests and his belief that Armageddon was imminent. Our conversation was part of a longer interview for a feature article on Phelps' dealings with the mass media.
Burnt-orange carpet and plastic-coated plywood walls lined the small rooms of the Westboro Baptist Church, part of Rev. Fred Phelps' compound in Topeka.
A pole-thin, snowy-haired grandfather figure descended from the pulpit. His ice-blue eyes and commanding masculine voice pierced the room.
"Whoremonger, that's a good Bible word," Phelps said. "I remember a great metaphor for whoring against God in the Bible — sows eating their own feces. That's exactly what all these sodomites are doing."
A Conversation with Fred Phelps Wilson: Why do you do the things you
do? Why do you hate?
Phelps: How can I sit here quiet with two dykes being married in this country? God's side is totally omitted from the discussion of fags, and that is totally unethical. I am determined to have God's side in there, possibly with picket sigms.
Wilson: What is God's side?
Phelps: What I'm preaching to fags is that God hates you like a loathsome spider. We are living in the days of the apostasy, and these sodomites are signs that the end of the world is coming.
Wilson: What is your job, as a Baptist preacher, in the world of today?
**Phelps:** My job is to be a watchman on a tower, the ambassador of Jesus Christ. Old Baptist preachers laid hands on my head and swore me to do God's work. Isaiah 58:1 is my job description: "Cry loud, spare not." Through newspapers, television and radio, I can preach all over the world for virtually no money. I am able from this little humble place to impact the national scene — that is preaching
Wilson: Do you ever come home at night after berating other human beings and feel regret for your actions?
today; that is the way you wage this war.
Phelps: I think about it. 1 Timothy 2:24 says be gentle, and I often wonder whether I am being gentle enough. After soul searching, I always come down on the side that I did the right thing. I deliver the judgment of God, it must be crystal clear that it is wrong. Some say I shouldn't preach at funerals, but God says preaching must occur in season and out of season. Those are watershed times when people are making life decisions, and I want to be there
Wilson: Do you ever get the sense that you've lost the battle, that you are a dinosaur arguing with God's word against homosexuals?
Phelps: How can I lose? The Lord says in Luke 17:28 that the worse the world gets, the closer we are to Armageddon. With the sodomite agenda coming to the forefront, the end of the world is coming, and that's OK with me.
KU committees gear up for 2001
By Gerry Dayle
gdayle@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
After five months of work, the University of Kansas has established a definite direction for its initiatives of the next century.
The Initiative 2001 program, started by Chancellor Robert Hemenway, is geared toward improving the educational experience for students and faculty at the University, said Don Steeples, chairman of the Serve Kansans committee.
The program, which began in October, consists of three separate committees: Serve Kansans, Building Premier Learning Institutions and Act as One University.
The University now has recommendations about how to accomplish all of those things.
The Serve Kansans committee recommended this month that the University pursue several options to help the state community, ranging from having a clear philosophical statement of goals to establishing gauges for the University's progress.
Some of the committees recommendations could be accomplished easily, Steeples said, but others might require more work.
The goal was not to work simply for the University's benefit, he said.
"Our aim was not necessarily to help the University, but to help the larger community," he said. "Some of these things can be done simply by rearranging priorities a little bit. Others require more time or rearranging money and people. We just have the feeling that if we can help the people of Kansas, we can help the University."
Diana Carlin, head of the Building Premier Learning Institutions committee, said that her committee's recommendations were intended to be guidelines for the Chancellor's decision. Carlin said that the committee talked with groups across the University and that it incorporated their viewpoints into its findings.
She said that her committee was concerned with improving the University with diversity and achieving educational balance.
"How do you make the University a better place?" she said. "I think the real advantage is that it's already started. We got people from all across the University sat down with them and started talking. From that, we generated ideas."
The third task force, Act as One University, is aimed at bringing the all University campuses in sync. The committee recommended the University do this by developing the idea of the University as a community and by knocking down barriers to sharing academic resources.
Mike Walden, student body vice president and member of the Building Premier Learning Institutions committee, said that students ultimately would benefit from the Initiative 2001 program.
Walden said that while no concrete action would be taken immediately, the results would be good in the end.
"As far as I know, the Chancellor is just looking at these," Walden said. "We deliberated for a long time, broke up into different groups. We want to enhance the educational experience of the faculty. I think the propositions we came up with are very student-friendly."
Have you always wanted to make a significant difference in the lives of people? Do you care about social issues such as illiteracy, homelessness, and violence?
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The Co-Directors of KU Center for Community Outreach are currently seeking applications
PROJECT COORDINATORS
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Applications available at CCO Office (400 Kansas Union)
Applications due on Mon, April 27 at 5:00 PM
Questions? Call Amy or Emily at 864-4073
Project Coordinators manage a volunteer program that involves recruiting and training volunteers, coordinating volunteer schedules and maintaining contact with community groups. Project Coordinators also serve on the Center for Community Outreach Executive Board. Each coordinator has specific program related responsibilities which include the following duties:
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Please join us for this unique event.
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As a result of the efforts of many students saving the furniture and art objects while providing invaluable service to firefighters during the Kansas Union fire on April 20,1970, insurance carriers decided to present the Kansas Union with a gift. Each year, the Student Union Activities Board awards about $1,200 to deserving students who have made significant contributions to the University and Lawrence communities.
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Qualifications:
- Must be an undergraduate KU student this spring semester and be enrolled in nine or more hours.
- Must have demonstrated service to the University and/or Lawrence community.
- Must be returning to the University for Fall 1998 and Spring 1999 semester.
- Academic and financial need will be minimal considerations in application reviews.
Available at the SUA Box Office, Level Four in the Kansas Union. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 1998 at the SUA office. For more information, call (785) 864-3477.
Applications:
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