Category: Missouri
Westboro bigots picket Lady Gaga concert with ‘God hates fags’ signs
Westboro bigots outside the Lady Gaga concert in St. Louis
Homophobic hate-monger Fred Phelps’ gang of Westboro Baptist Bigots has taken a break from picketing military funerals with its “God hates fags” message to picket the Lady Gaga concert in St. Louis on Saturday night.
“Now what type of wicked hypocrites would we be if we did not warn this little false prophetess and all of her over-indulged sycophants that they are each one, individually heading straight to hell in a gender-confused, self-loathing, tone-deaf hand basket,” said Westboro, via their website.
In response, about an hour prior to her concert, Gaga posted this message to fans, via Facebook:
“At the risk of drawing attention to a hateful organization, I would like to make my little monster fan aware of a protest being held outside the Monsterball in St.Louis tonight. Although we have had protesters before, as well as fundamentalists at the show this group of protesters are hate criminals and preach using lude and violent language and imagery that I wish I protect you all from.
Their message is of hatred and divisiveness, but inside at the Monsterball we preach love and unity.
My request to all little monsters and public authority is to pay these hate criminals no mind. Do not interact with them, or try to fight. Do not respond to any of their provocation. Don’t waste your words, or feelings, no matter what you hear or see.
You are more fortunate and blessed than they are, and in your heart just pray for them. Although I respect and do not judge anyone for their personal views on any politics or religion, this group in particular to me, is violent and dangerous. I wanted to make my fans aware of my views on how to approach, or rather not approach, these kinds of hate activists.
Be inspired to ignore their ignorant message, and feel gratitude in your heart that you are not burdened or addicted to hate, as they are. X”
And post-concert, via Twitter:
@ladygaga: Tonight love and hate met in St. Louis. And love outnumbered the hate, in poetic thousands. Hate left. But love stayed. + Together, we sang.
Westboro is a small church in Topeka, KS, and is not affiliated with the Baptist denomination or any other Baptist church. According to news reports, almost all of its members — fewer than 100 — are related to founder Fred Phelps either by blood or marriage.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Ricky Martin’s memoir due November 2
Adam Lambert’s ‘Glam Nation’ is must-see tour of the summer
Eminem speaks out in favor of gay marriage
Country music singer-songwriter Chely Wright comes out
Klein says Michael Jackson had gay relationship with office manager
Christian musician Jennifer Knapp comes back, comes out
Missouri trooper’s death leaves longtime partner without state benefits
The recent death of a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper is once again putting the rights of same-sex couples under scrutiny.
Kelly Glossip (seated) and Trooper Dennis Engelhard
From stltoday.com:
When Highway Patrol Cpl. Dennis Engelhard was killed in a Christmas Day traffic accident near Eureka, the agency described him as single with no children.
Gov. Jay Nixon called on Missourians to pray for Engelhard’s family, who “lost a beloved son and brother.”
Neither statement tells the whole story.
Engelhard, hit by a car that lost control in the snow, was gay. He left behind a partner of nearly 15 years who was not mentioned in his obituary or official information released by the Highway Patrol, although members of the agency knew about his sexual orientation.
If Engelhard had been married, his spouse — Kelly Glossip — would be entitled to lifetime survivor’s benefits from the state pension system, more than $28,000 a year.
Glossip, 43, said he and Engelhard were together for nearly 15 years, and has been ignored when it comes to the agencies that normally reach out to the families of fallen law enforcement officers.
“He was my true love and he always referred to me as his one and only true love and the man of his dreams,” Glossip said. “We were hopelessly in love with each other.”
The Justice Department might pay a large benefit to Engelhard’s partner, in this case around $300,000- in the case of . Unlike other benefits available through state and local groups, the Justice Department benefits when state troopers who die in the line of duty are available to anyone who is married to or can prove that they were the long time partner for the deceased.
But Glossip won’t receive similar payments from Missouri.
Under the rules of the state pension system that covers the Missouri Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation workers, if a trooper dies in the line of duty, his or her spouse is eligible for lifetime survivor benefits.
Missouri pension law is clear about defining a spouse, recognizing only a marriage between a man and a woman.
Officials say they’ve never paid benefits to long-term partners of heterosexual troopers either.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Victims of attack say they were targeted because they’re gay
St. Louis Police are investigating an attack early Saturday outside a nightclub, and while police say it’s too soon to tell whether this will be categorized as a hate crime, the victims believe they were targeted because they’re gay, reports KSDK-TV.
Jacob Piwowarczyk says, “I have a soft tissue bruise on my elbow. I have six stitches in my eye and I have a mild concussion.”
These are the physical reminders, of a night Piwowarczyk won’t soon forget. He and two friends were leaving the Complex Nightclub when it happened.
Piwowarczyk says, “They came up out of the car and they start calling us faggots.” Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
KC Newspapers Reject Same-Sex Wedding Announcement
An Independence, MO same-sex couple went to Iowa to get married, but two newspapers refused to publish the wedding announcement.
After 10 years together, Mike and Chuck Hewitt finally got to exchange wedding vows. Iowa is currently the only state in the Midwest to allow same-sex marriages. But when they attempted to announce their nuptuals in the local newspapers, the Kansas City Star and the Independence Examiner, both papers said no!
