About a dozen protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., gathered outside of Manhattan Clerks office this morning to protest the legalization of marriage equality in New York State.
Carrying signs ranging from statements such as “Fags can’t get married” to their most well known sign “God hates Fags,” the protesters were only met with joy from the dozens of couples waiting to tie the knot in front of the clerk’s office.
DNAinfo news reporter Nicole Bode interviewed one of the couples in line:
“We can thank them for attending our wedding,” said Kawane Harris, who was standing in line to get married alongside her bride, Jeanette Coleman.
“Yes, those are the only words I have for them,” Coleman added. “Protesters are present at occasions that matter. So the more, the merrier. You can’t ruin my day today. What they’re doing is not stopping what’s happening here.”
Westboro’s protests are not the only ones slated for today.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The National Organization For Marriage, along with Senator Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx), have organized rally’s across the state with the theme “Let The People Vote.” In an interview with Christian Post, NOM president Brian Brown said he expects more than 5,000 people at the rallies today.
“It’s hard to tell but the response has been amazing,” said Brown, “I think they’ll be 5,000 or possibly more at all of the rallies.”
Senator Diaz, a Pentecostal minister, in a statement issued on Tuesday, put a religious spin on the protests.
“Having had this bad law passed, we should not retreat in fear the way the Apostles did in the days after the crucifixion and before the resurrected Christ came to reveal himself,” said Diaz. “Instead, we need to maintain the same drive that the Apostles had after the resurrected Lord filled them with the Spirit.”
Counter protests are being planned by LGBT groups across the state of New York in anticipation of these rallies.
