The Laramie Project
February 14, 2024 - 10:48 am
Community United to Stop The Hate In Kalamazoo
Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka, Kansas) has announced that they intend to come to Kalamazoo to protest the Kalamazoo Central High School’s production of The Laramie Project. Westboro Baptist is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and is regularly monitored by the Anti-Defamation League. It promotes a theology rooted in discrimination, fear and hate and is well-known for picketing funerals, including the funeral of Matthew Shepard who in 1998 was brutally attacked and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. The Laramie Project tells the story of this senseless murder and how the community of Laramie responded to it.
A long list of community groups have come together to counter Westboro’s attempts at promoting hate in our community and have formed the Stop The Hate In Kalamazoo Coalition: Project Light, The Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center, The LBGT Student Services Office of Western Michigan University, CARES, Unity of Kalamazoo, Planned Parenthood, Great Lakes PEaceJam, OutSpoken, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Michigan Equality, The Triangle Foundation & The Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality.
The Stop The Hate In Kalamazoo Coalition is asking the community to show their support of the students, faculty and administration of Kalamazoo Central High School and their willingness to take on such a challenging production. Westboro has a history of announcing that they intend to come to a community and protest in an attempt to stir up rage and hate in that community and then they do not actually show up since their job of filling a community with hate has already been done. In an effort to create our own response of unity, we are asking that community members do NOT engage in counter demonstrations but instead participate in the following productive and powerful opportunities:
Come see the show:Purchase Real Tickets online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/28725 or call 1.800.838.3006
Show Dates: February 22, 23, 29 & March 1
Show Times: 7:30pm
Location: Kalamazoo Central High School, 2432 N. Drake Road, Kalamazoo 49006
Tickets: $7, also available at the door ($5 with Student ID)
Unfortunately, seating is extremely limited-so in order to still show your support you can:
Make a donation:Purchase Virtual Tickets through The Triangle Foundation at http://ga1.org/trianglefoundation/events/phelps/details.tcl
Donations will go to Kalamazoo Central High School’s Theater Department, Kalamazoo Central High School’s Gay Straight Alliance and Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center’s Youth Group.
Mark Your Calendars for Pro-GSA Youth Rally on Saturday, March 8-More Information To Be Announced:
Details are still being worked out for a youth rally scheduled for Saturday, March 8. The rally will feature local bands and speakers. This event will be a celebration of diversity filled with music, camaraderie and talks about inclusion, social justice & how to start a Gay Straight Alliance at your school. As more information becomes available, please check back at www.kglrc.org/news