Community Coalition Organizes Response to Phelps Protest

ALBANY, NY (02/27/2009)(readMedia)-- A coalition of nine local community organizations, student organizations and churches is calling on citizens to avoid Albany High School on the morning of March 6 when Fred Phelps is scheduled to protest. Instead, the coalition is calling on all concerned individuals and groups to come together in a public display of mutual support for a "Albany Says No To Hate" vigil on March 5 at 5:00pm on the steps of City Hall.

If people feel they must protest on March 6, the group suggests doing so at the second protest location named by Phelps: SUNY Central on Broadway in downtown Albany, instead of at the high school. They have also urged University at Albany students to participate in a UNITY Brunch, sponsored by the UAlbany Pride Alliance at 10am that morning at the Terrace Lounge in the Student Center of the uptown campus.

"Phelps and his followers hope that Albany High School will be a flashpoint," said coalition member Reverend Tony Green of the First Congregational Church. "They want to provoke our students and those who care about our students into acts of anger and violence in order to attract media attention and produce arrests and law suits. We call on the concerned citizens of Albany to resist this provocation!"

Rev. Green announced an open community meeting at his church shortly after the announcement of the Phelps protest, in an effort to find unity while supporting the young people and institutions targeted. Over 100 angry people attended including Sienna College students, University at Albany students, Albany High School parents and students including members of that school's Gay Straight student alliance and representatives of churches and agencies who serve the local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and local youth.

From that meeting grew the March 6 Coalition with a Steering Committee that has met in open meetings each week. The meeting has attracted high school parents, City School Board and AHS administrative officials, local clergy and a variety of individuals and organizations looking for a united community response.

"As a community, our most important priority must be to support and protect our young people and their schools," stated Christine Pluviose, a staff member at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood whose child attends the high school. "We have been working with student groups and with school administrators to turn this visit into an opportunity to bring diverse elements of our community together and to educate our students about free speech and the history of civil rights and protest. We have provided the high school with resources and guidance which we hope they will use to engage students in creative celebration of diversity and the rejection of discrimination, harassment and hate."

The coalition does recognize that some groups and individuals will still decide to go to the high school and counter-protest. In fact, there are serious concerns that individuals and groups from outside the area are planning to come, as well as local groups such as those organized by the Victory Church. "We cannot control this," admits Tandra LaGrone, of In Our Own Voices. "But we encourage everyone to seriously consider what will be accomplished. Personally, I would much rather people made a commitment to act in support of local organizations fighting hate; make a donation to an lgbt youth group or center; join a local civil rights organization; call your legislator and urge support for legislation to end discrimination and hate crimes. This is how we really make a difference!"

Lauren Ford, along with other members of the UAlbany Pride Alliance Executive Board, has been working with the Steering Committee for the last few weeks. "Of course I am angry!" Lauren stated. Instead of drawing attention to Phelps, the Pride Alliance is sponsoring a Unity Brunch, a community forum to give students a chance to express their emotions and begin a dialogue about activism and how to make our community more accepting. There will also be members of the larger Albany community in attendance at the Unity event speaking about their own activism experiences.

"We can best serve our community by coming together in a positive show of unity and love at the Albany Says No to Hate vigil on Thursday March 5," emphasized Reverend Green, "and not by letting Phelps turn our high school into a circus and subject our community to chaos and lawsuits." He noted that many communities across the country, including most notably Los Angeles, California and Provincetown, Massachusetts have responded to a Phelps visit by ignoring him and his followers. Others have held vigils at other locations such as this coalition is promoting. That is the plan for Plattsburgh where Phelps will go after leaving Albany.

The March 6 Coalition organizational members supporting this media statement and the identified actions include:

Albany City Parent Teacher's AssociationEleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club

Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council

First Congregational Church of AlbanyIn Our Own Voices

Marriage Equality New YorkReformed Church of America- Room for All

UAlbany Pride AllianceUpper Hudson Planned Parenthood

Coalition members have also established a web site for updated information at http://www.albanyunited.com.