Alliance Urges New Mexicans to Ignore Hateful Visit

What should be the response to hatemonger Fred Phelps' protest visit to New Mexico later this month? According to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican we should:

Ignore them.

That's what Santa Fe city officials, religious leaders and community groups Monday urged locals to do if a Kansas anti-gay group shows up as planned this month to stage demonstrations.

Counterdemonstrations, they said, will only fall into the group's trap.

The "Reverend" Phelps' Kansas group announced it will picket The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, eight Santa Fe churches and Santa Fe City Hall between April 23 and April 25.

Click for a story on what happened when the hate group recently visited Arvada, Colorado.

An ad hoc alliance has been formed to lead a response to Phelps' group, and "urges Santa Feans to refrain from reactive counter demonstrations and to instead put their energy into positive community action."

This group is chaired by Rev. Holly Beaumont and includes representatives from the faith community, Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance, PFLAG, Equality New Mexico and the College of Santa Fe Queer Faculty and Staff Association. Click to read about a positive set of actions they've devised so that people can counter the negativity of the Phelps' protest.

To refresh yourself on the facts about Phelps and his anti-gay and anti-American crusade, check out a previous post on this topic.