Send Fred Phelps kind and loving greetings for his 75th birthday.
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AFFIRMATION CO-SPOKESPERSON URGES MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
TO LOVE FRED PHELPS
For Immediate Release
October 23, 2004

"Send Fred Phelps a birthday card! He turns 75 on November 13."
That's a suggestion made by the Rev. Peggy R. Gaylord, Co-Spokeperson
of Affirmation, a United Methodist organization that supports lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender people. She urges everyone to join in
a birthday card campaign to send him kind and loving greetings.

Phelps first gained national mainstream attention when his group from
Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS, protested at Matthew Shepard's
funeral. They carried signs like "Matt Shepard rots in Hell", "AIDS
Kills Fags Dead", and "God Hates Fags." His web site
http://www.godhatesfags.com/ contains similar epithets. Over the
years, his small congregation has also picketed several United
Methodist churches and, in 1999, the Holy Union Service of Jeanne
Barnett and Ellie Charlton in Sacramento.

The Rev. Gaylord explained, "At Affirmation's meeting last week, we
talked about what the gospel requires us to do as lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer Christians. How do we love as Jesus
loved? Who are 'the least of these' for us? When I saw a suggestion
on the Web to send Fred Phelps birthday cards, it seemed to me an
inspired idea in line with our discussion."

The plan, described on
http://www.cureignorance.com/home/print.php?sid=5 ,
encourages all gays and lesbians to write Phelps a kind birthday
card: "Tell him that you are gay but love him anyway. Tell him that
the hate is not returned. That there is no 'war against
homosexuality,' but just one-sided persecution.... I am a straight
male, but I will be sending my card with my message and wishing him a
happy hate-free birthday. I recommend that others join me in fighting
hate with love. Pass this on to your friends. I would like to see
Mr. Phelps with a mailbox FULL of birthday cards."

Affirmation believes in Jesus' message of respect, love, justice, and
mercy for all, including Fred Phelps.

Send cards to:
Fred Phelps
Westboro Baptist Church
3701 W. 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604-2553


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Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Concerns is an independent voice of LGBT people and their
allies who affirm full participation of all persons in the church and
society and who relentlessly pursue policies and processes to that
end. Together we proclaim a Gospel of respect, love, justice, and
mercy for all. Affirmation is an activist, not-for-profit
organization with no official ties to The United Methodist Church.

Email: umaffirmation@yahoogroups.com
Web: http://www.umaffirm.org
Snail-Mail: Affirmation, P.O. Box 1021, Evanston, IL 60204.