An anti-gay Topeka, Kan., church has planned meetings in Long Beach to speak out against President Barack Obama’s appointment of Kevin Jennings to the U.S. Department of Education.
The Kansan Westboro Baptist Church is protesting Jennings, who is the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network (GLSEN) and was appointed in May 2009 as assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
Jennings has received scrutiny from many who claim he introduced the sexual act “fisting” to teenagers at a sex education conference in 2000.
According to an article from the Boston Herald, Jennings and GLSEN said some of the content was age-inappropriate for the guests. It also reported that Jennings was not one of the workshop leaders.
The Gay Straight Alliance is going to protest against the Westboro Baptist Church at Wilson Classical High School during the church’s speech.
“To target a group of kids, in my mind, is the lowest of the low, and apparently lots of Long Beach locals and neighbors agree,” said Annie Parkhurst, founder of Cut&Paste Rock&Roll, a gay grassroots music and art event.
WBC is targeting students at the high school who are part of the GSA, a safe place for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Parkhurst said.
“The idea that a group of people would travel here all the way from Kansas to attack them really sent me over the edge,” Parkhurst said.
Cut&Paste Rock&Roll has never protested against WBC, but Parkhurst has encountered them when they show up at the gates of Long Beach Pride parade, she said.
A post on the WBC Web site — www.godhatesfags.com — said WBC is determined to spread the message about Jennings.
“Jennings and Obama say, ‘Screw you, buddy’ to God,” the Web site said.
GSA is going to meet at Seventh Street and Ximeno Avenue on Friday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. However, it might move depending on the crowd size and where the WBC ends up, Parkhurst said.
Parkhurst said, “We want to be directly across from them to let them see how Long Beach responds to their brand of homophobia.”
The church has also planned to picket the Alpert Jewish Community Center three times this weekend, as well as Temple Beth Shalom, the Long Beach Convention Center during a Martin Lawrence comedy event and the Ragga Muffins Festival, Temple Beth David, the U.S. Naval Weapons Station in Long Beach and Temple Israel of Long Beach.