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Phelps Plans Protest To Support School That Disciplined 7 Year Old With Two Mothers
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 3, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET
(Lafayette, Louisiana) Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has announced plans to demonstrate in front of a Lafayette school that disciplined a student for telling a classmate he has two moms. The demonstration, slated for later this month is aimed at showing support for the school district. The Phelps clan has also scheduled protests in front of area churches the group claims are "pro-homosexual".
Last month, 7-year-old Marcus McLaurin was scolded in front of his classmates and sent to a school behavioral clinic for answering another child�s questions about his lesbian mothers. (story)
On a behavior report form signed by the assistant principal, the teacher wrote, �Marcus decided to explain to another child in his group that his mom is gay. He told the other child that gay is when a girl likes a girl. This kind of discussion is not acceptable in my room. I feel that parents should explain things of this nature to their own children in their own way.�
The school district has refused to apologize despite the threat of a lawsuit by the ACLU.
Lafayette residents, though, are not happy about Phelps incursion.
The Rev. Mike Walker, pastor of East Bayou Baptist Church, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, likened the scheduled protests to a �KKK rally.� He encouraged residents to �put a needle in their balloon� by ignoring the group and its planned silent protest.
�It�s a little sect that chooses to preach hate. That�s no different from the Klan,� Walker said. �They don�t speak for God. Nothing they preach coincides with scripture.�
Phelps, and his Westboro Baptist Church, run the God Hates Fags website and regularly demonstrate against homosexuality across the country. Most recently he has attempted to force several cities to accept a monument condemning homosexuals. (story)
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