The Westboro Baptist Church, which plans to protest a play Queer and Allied Activism will perform Friday, is easily one of the most offensive organizations in this country. Rather than give the group a louder microphone through which to speak, we will devote only a small amount of space here to encourage those who plan to protest against it to do so carefully.
QuAA, the Queer Student Union and the Minority Rights Coalition are planning to hold hands and form a physical barrier between the protesters and those attending the event, according to a QuAA press release. This is a common method of responding to the WBC, and since some members of the WBC have been convicted of battery in the past, QuAA is right to attempt to ensure students and others can participate in its event safely — so long as the counter-protest is peaceful and legal.
The best way to defeat ignorance is to confront it with reason. When David Horowitz spoke on Grounds several weeks ago — and took out an ad in The Cavalier Daily — many Muslim students responded calmly and effectively by countering his false and possibly racist claims with sound arguments. Those responding to the WBC Friday evening should look to that effort as an example of how to react to offensive speech. Fred Phelps and the rest of the WBC have a right to express themselves, but they should be met with opposition from stronger voices — voices that do not need to shout to make a point.
There is another important reason to ensure the counter-protest does not infringe on the WBC’s rights. When it feels its free speech rights have been violated, the WBC often brings the case to court. The money it sometimes wins helps to support its ministry. If the counter-protesters at Friday’s event deny the group its rights in any way, they could end up helping its cause.
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