When members of the vehemently anti-LGBT “church,” Westboro Baptist, arrived in Orlando to picket the funerals of the LGBT people killed in America’s worst mass shooting, activists disarmed their hate with love. Over 200 people formed a human chain around St. James Catholic Cathedral in a form of counter-protest that blocked the view of the venom spewing naysayers.
Members of the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre donned giant “angel wings” created from white sheets and PVC pipes to shield funeral goers from the church’s hateful shouts and offensive signs claiming “God hates fags.” Less than a dozen protesters showed up at the church.
The counter-protest, which formed organically on Facebook, included priests, bikers, members of the LGBT community and locals carrying signs saying “God is love” and “Orlando strong,” according to the Washington Post. The idea of using “angel wings” to block view of the hate group began with the funeral of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard after he was killed in 1999.
The angels moved in silently to block the view as other mourners sang the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
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Surreal: one side sings 'amazing grace' as protesters chant against them while #orlandoshooting funeral next door pic.twitter.com/UGaPSZLEOp
— Richard Madan (@RichardMadan) June 18, 2016
#OrlandoStrong @wmfeorlando theater community spreads its wings to block WBC from family @tamarakeithNPR pic.twitter.com/TBbAlNmjAE
— Catherine Welch (@CWELCHCO) June 18, 2016
