hilltopics
iriday, march 16, 2001
people features
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6A
AIDS organization transforms protest into cash donations
by ryan devlin kansan senior staff writer photos by iamie roper
Lawrence resident Maggie Allen organized the God Loves Fred organization, which solicits donations for the Douglas County AIDS Project based on the number of Westboro Baptist Church members protesting at an event. The church, led by Fred Phelps, takes a strong anti-queer stance in its protests.
thus has become a familiar sight in Lawrence. A small band of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church, led by their irascible and controversial pastor, Fred Phelps, stands in close proximity.
Couples dance into the evening at the annual Douglas County AIDS Project Valentine's Dance Benefit. The God Loves Fred organization raised more than $2,000 for the organization, in addition to $11,250 raised by the舞。
to a local event. The protesters, who range in age from seven to 70, carry signs with graphic depictions of homosexual sex. The signs bear slogans such as "Fags Burn in Hell," "God Hates Fags" and "Gayhawks." The protesters chant slogans like "Fags die, God laughs!" and "Violent Fag!" Invariably, a group of passers-by, upset or offended by the message of the protesters, jumps into the fray.
Shouting matches break out between protesters and passers-by. The arguments are illogical, unreasonable and futile. Neither side listens to the other, so each side raises the decibel level. A full-scale spectacle erupts.
As vocal chords become strained and minds bruised in illogical battle, both sides wear down. The protesters regroup and head back to Topeka. Those who fought with the protesters break away and congregate in coffee shops, restaurants and homes to discuss the events that transpired.
Among those who fought the protesters, a sick feeling develops: not defeat, but close.
Maggie Allen may have found the way.
"There must be a way to turn the negative into a positive," someone says.
"What can we do?" someone asks. Ideas are tossed around. Protest the protesters? Continue to yell at them in hopes they'll go away or change their opinions? Try and run Fred Phelps down with a car? Each method has been tried before, often accomplishing the opposite of its intention, either drawing more attention to Phelps and Westboro, or sinking into the same tar pit of hate the method could ensoid.
Maggie Allen may have found the way. Four days before the Douglas County AIDS Project held its annual Valentine's Dance Benefit at Liberty Hall, an event which members of Westboro intended to protest, Allen, a 1999 KU graduate and Lawrence resident, got an idea. She developed a plan to further the project's fundraising efforts by asking people to pledge money for each protester from Westboro who showed up to the event. She pitched the idea to DCAP director Sidney Hardgrave, who gave the go-ahead. With the help of several volunteers calling themselves the God Loves Fred organization, Allen distributed sign-up sheets at local businesses willing to participate in the "Count the Protesters" "pledge drive."
"I wanted to discourage people from simply screaming at him," Allen said, referring to Phelps. "Rather than doing something negative, I wanted to encourage people to do something positive and to put their money where their mouth is."
"I've always been bothered by Fred Phelps," Allen said. "But I'm particularly sensitive about anyone who delivers a message of misinformation about AIDS. It's a disease that affects everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation."
"When you hear a message of hate, your knee-jerk response is to respond in hate toward the people who are delivering the message. But that doesn't get anything done."
Allen said that the results of her efforts far exceeded her expectations. Nearly 200 people pledged on average one dollar per protester, bringing the total amount pledged to just more than $2,000.
Allen said she started the organization because she was opposed to acts of hatred, particularly those she believed interfered with research and prevention of AIDS.
"It was really amazing," Allen said. "This was my first effort at fund raising, and I had no idea what to expect. I still can't believe we raised that much money."
Buck Rowland, Information Outreach Specialist for DCAP, said that if all the pledges were collected, the total would double to $4,000 because of a grant the project received from The Gill Foundation, a Colorado-based foundation that raises money for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and AIDS organizations. The Gill Foundation doubles the amount of the project's fund raising efforts up to $17,000. Rowland said the money would be a welcome addition to the $11,250 raised by the benefit dance.
Rowland said DCAP had no involvement with the God Loves Fred pledge drive aside from giving its approval and placing a pledge-drive sheet on a table at the dance. He attributed the drive's success in part to the fact that people who attended the dance were prepared to spend money for the AIDS project's cause, and the fact
that the pledge drive was geared to counter Westmo's efforts provided an additional incentive.
"I think people thought that if they could give another $10 to counteract Fred's message that it was worth it." Rowland said.
Allen had a similar take. She said that the force of Phelps' message caused people to act.
"People have tried to find ways to turn Fred's hate into goodness," Rowland said. "This is the first time I've seen such an effort really succeed."
"The reason why the pledge drive worked was because Fred was my gimmick," Allen said. "If I had gone out on the street and just asked people to pledge money to DCAP, I don't think I would have gotten the response I did. People wanted to retaliate against his message of hatred."
Rowland said that the money hadn't been earmarked for any particular use, but that it would probably be used for client services, emergency assistance, education and outreach, which are some of the critical services DCAP provides.
Rowland agreed.
Allen said that she had no immediate plans for similar pledge drives, but said she would be active again as soon as she finished sending out pledge notifications. She also plans to have a Web site, www.godlovesfred.com, up and running before her next fund-raising effort. She said that the Web site would offer information about the organization, as well as provide an efficient way for people to pledge.
Allen also added that future pledge drives could benefit organizations other than the Douglas County AIDS Project, such as the memorial funds of those whose funerals Westboro decides to protest. She also said she had been contacted by a friend in Columbia, Mo., who expressed eagerness to start a God Loves Fred chapter at the University of Missouri.
Phelps spin of the pledge drive, she wasn't particularly concerned with what Fred Phelps thought of her efforts.
Allen said that despite the retaliate-against-
"Our No. 1 priority was to raise money for DCAP," she said. "If it upsets Fred, then that's just ice on the cake. I'm not going to shove it in his face with faxes or resort to his tactics. That kind of statement goes against the spirit of love in which this organization was founded. I just want to help the community, I don't particularly care how it affects Fred Phelps."
Rowland said that the AIDS project would be pleased to reap the benefits of any future pledge drives. He also said in light of the God Loves Fred pledge drives, the organization wouldn't mind seeing Westboro protesting future project sponsored events.
"We think this is incredible," Rowland said. "If Fred's presence can, for a change, bring help to others, then we certainly welcome his presence at our events."
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— Edited by Melissa Cooley