Did anyone watch Dateline or whatever about the gay teen in Oklahoma?

[Bouncy Ball]

It was on last night. By the end of the program, I was shaking and in tears.

His name is Michael Shackleford and he lives in small town, Oklahoma. He and his mom and sister belong to a Baptist church. He's in high school. I don't think he exactly came out, but it was also no secret that he was gay.

Anyway, his pastor spoke against gay marriage one Sunday and his mother was mortified. So there was some tension.

THEN Fred Phelps' hateful ass came to town. They FAXED the church from their "church" in Kansas to let them know "God hates Michael Shackleford." And that they were going to protest their church.

So the church and the community was like "bring it on."

A lot of church and community members ended up defending Michael and many of them said that seeing Fred and his people made them fully realize what gay people are up against and how hard it is for them. It actually changed the feelings of many people in the town.

So now I'm wondering if Fred Phelps' horrible hatred isn't....I know this is weird....good in some strange way? It's OUT THERE, in the open and people can REALLY SEE what hatred is like up close and personal and what gays have to deal with (albeit normally on a more "polite" basis) every single day of their lives.

It caused the town to rally around him. They were like "get the fuck out of here, don't tell us what to do, assholes."

What do you think? I was so shaken up by the Phelps people I couldn't sleep for hours. I hate feeling this way, but I kept wishing death on him.

[mitchtv]

1. I saw it, I was aware of the story from DU several weeks ago

Funny how the OK'rs resented the "outsiders" coming in to harass "their homos" I think most of their resentment was the attack on their church. but heartwarming nontheless. They can torture this kid, but heaven forbid and outsider do it. The kid is goodlooking and with that hour long infomercial, he will have gay men from all over the country with proposals. I hope he gets outa Dodge soon.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. Yeah

did you see where even his friends said if they were gay they'd leave that place?

You know I finally realized part of the reason I was crying so hard last night was because I just wanted to hug him. I just wanted to give a big FUCK YOU to everyone harrassing him and I wanted to hug him and send him somewhere he can be relatively safe.

:cry:

[renaissanceguy]

14. Perhaps it is because

the churches would rather "help" gays by "curing" them, instead of wanting them dead and going to hell.
http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.16472020

[Lautremont]

2. It's twisted and weird, but kind of true

that the unbelievable hatred from people like this Phelps fuckwit might actually shock garden-variety homophobes into a semblance of reason. You could say the same about Hitler and anti-Semitism. Wasn't cool to be an anti-Semite for a long time after Holocaust details came out. (Until now - thanks Prince Harry).

But what an unbelievably sad state of affairs when people like that can be seen, even in a twisted and weird way, to be performing a service.

Mostly I just wish he'd be run over by a steamroller driven by the Village People construction guy.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Me, too.

Bring on the steamroller.

[Chipper Chat]

3. That boy is very courageous

to stand up against Mr Scumbag Phelps & crew. There were even little children in the Phelps crowd. One held a sign that read "Fags eat poop." Those poor little kids. What hateful lives they will lead.

[Bouncy Ball]

6. I saw that and was DISGUSTED by it.

[Der Blaue Engel]

11. I don't know why someone can't protect those kids from their abusive

families. Shouldn't CPS be able to step in when children are used in that way and do something about it? I've seen other signs from those people...one where a very little girl was holding a sign about sodomy.

I mean, can you imagine if a queer activist group brought their kids along to a protest and had them holding signs saying "I love sodomy"? Those kids would be taken away quicker than you could say "homophobe."

:puke:

[babylonsister]

4. BB, I didn't see this program, but

I've read threads here about Phelps (and copied and pasted because of how ludicrous he is) and sent to my loved ones.
I think and hope there are many smart people out there, like yourself and Michael's defenders, who know this is over the line. Hatred being exposed is a great thing, and people who keep their minds open enough to learn from it is even better.

[mitchtv]

8. Hell, even a bunch of small town baptist homophobes

knew it was WAY over the line. A glint of compassion in a few

[Stepup2]

9. I still maintain

that if you give people like that enough rope they will hang themselves in their own hate.

However, until that time it is powerful to see a community rally behind a young person in this way.

Perhaps he will come thru the coming out process more whole than he may have otherwise.

...as for the kids that are being spoon on fed on that kind of hate.....makes me scared to get old in this country.

[JohnKleeb]

10. I read the article about him in the post

He's my age. I am hetero as many of you guys know, and I just felt for the poor kid, goddamn the Phelps people, why can't we have a equivalent of them that shows love to people. I was really proud of his town honestly.

[Der Blaue Engel]

12. Hey, that's a great idea!

What if a group got together and followed the Phelps pukes around with signs saying "God loves fags," and "God loves so-and-so"? I mean, I know groups do turn out to protest him when he comes around here (SF Bay Area), but I'm not sure they do something quite so "back-atcha." It would have a lot of impact if a church group did it. (If I belonged to one, I'd suggest it.)

[JohnKleeb]

13. Thanks!

:) and hi. Really, Phelps is such an intolerant fucking asshole, sure he'll get the ultimate lesson in the end.

[Stepup2]

15. We can only hope n/t