Westboro Baptist Church to speak outside schools in Fresno, Reedley

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Westboro Baptist Church is scheduled to speak outside two high schools in Fresno County later this month.

The group, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America,” says their presence outside the schools is to allow the students there “to understand the truth of God.”

“We bring this gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, preaching to every creature, so that in the day of judgment, which is upon this nation, as is her destruction, there will be none that can say I did not know,” Shirley Phelps-Roper with the Westboro Baptist Church said.

The Westboro Baptist Church’s (WBC) website reveals the group is scheduled to publicly preach at Roosevelt High School in Fresno and Reedley High School in Reedley. The two events are the only two taking place on the West Coast.

The scheduled events will take place on Oct. 28 at Roosevelt High School in Fresno from 3:55 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. – and on Oct. 31 at Reedley High School from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.

“If students come up to us and ask us questions, we will be happy to answer them. We do not schedule something on campus. We go like our savior did without the camp so to speak, on the public streets,” Phelps-Roper said.

In a statement, Kings Canyon Unified School District wrote that they are aware of the planned demonstration outside Reedley High School.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. We are coordinating closely with campus security and law enforcement to ensure a safe and secure environment for all.

Kings Canyon Unified School District

The Fresno Unified School District also responded to YourCentralValley.com’s request for comment, confirming that the event is not affiliated with the school and has not been planned in collaboration with Fresno Unified.

This event is not at all affiliated with our school and has not been It will take place outside of school hours. The PD traffic division and special event division are aware of the event, and we are working closely with them to implement additional safety measures as needed. Our priority is to ensure that our students are not affected as they leave school.

Fresno Unified School District

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s description of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) also establishes their anti-LGBTQ ideology shown in “harsh anti-gay beliefs.”

In response to the planned events, LGBTQ Fresno says they are taking action with “a coalition of local LGBTQ+ organizations and allies are coming together to stand against their message of intolerance.”

“The WBC has gained notoriety for targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, military personnel, and other marginalized groups with protests filled with offensive and hurtful rhetoric,” LGBTQ Fresno wrote.

LGBTQ Fresno has already announced two counter-protest dates to coincide with the Westboro Baptist Church’s events at Roosevelt High School on Oct. 28 and Reedley High School on Oct. 31.

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