Can Pennies Conquer Hate?

When it comes to anti-LGBT hate groups, the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is one of the worst. Its main Web site address is godhatesfags.com. It has protested the funerals of U.S. soldiers, not because the soldiers were gay themselves, but because church leader Fred Phelps says the deaths are punishment for our country's tolerance of homosexuality. It protests at high schools that have Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) groups or appear to support anything that Phelps does not like, including other religions and denominations. Now, four mothers have set up a site to help others counter Phelps' hate with love and compassion.

When the WBC came to Richmond, Virginia to protest local Jewish and LGBT organizations, local moms Sarah, Patience, Jessica, and Sara came together and decided to implement an idea they heard about from a friend in New York. The WBC had protested at his synagogue, and the synagogue asked congregation members to pledge $1 for every minute the WBC was there. They raised $10,000 in one hour. When the Richmond moms implemented a similar plan, they raised over $14,000 for local Jewish and LGBT charities.

Now the moms want to share their expertise with others who are sadly facing protests by WBC. They have created a Web site, Pennies in Protest, with step-by-step instructions for organizing, fundraising, marketing, and working with the media.

They are not the only ones to reach out in this way. LGBT activist Chris Mason created the Phelps-a-Thon Web site after he organized a "donate per minute of protest" event to counter WBC's appearance in Boston two years ago. Mason says on the site that Phelps-a-Thon.com is "focused on channeling passion against Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church into donations to make positive change for all people affected by the hateful message being spread by WBC." He works with people around the country to help them set up Phelps-a-thons in response to WBC visits, with money going to an agreed-upon local charity or charities.

Pennies In Protest, however, offers its advice right on the site -- a small but well thought-out and useful guide to community organizing.

And despite its name, the group insists, "Pennies in Protest is not about the dollars (or euros or yen or pesos) raised; the fundraising aspect is secondary to the greater goal of turning hatred into kindness."

Its manifesto also offers wise advice for all of us, whether we are facing a WBC protest or not: "Pennies in Protest is about the magic that can happen when you replace a negative thought or action with a positive one. Pennies in Protest is about sending that energy out into the world and teaching our children, our partners, and ourselves that we do have the power and the ability to change things for the better, through our own kindness and love." Go read the whole thing and think about how you might apply it in your life.

Photo credit: jweston