MACOMB — The infamous Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka is planning a trip to western Illinois and the local community is ready for it.
The counterprotest is currently planned for Hanson Field’S Q-Lot at Western Illinois University in Macomb with the exact location to be announced closer to the date. It will start at 11 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 17. WBC will be in another part of the field.
Called the WIU Rally for Love, kissing by all genders and orientations is encourage. People are encouraged to bring their own signs, but there will be signs offered, t-shirts and possible hot cocoa.
To keep up with the discussion and get updates, RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/719601011772367/.
If you miss the Saturday protest, WBC will be appearing at other locations in and near western Illinois. The Quincy Herald-Whig reported last week that the homophobic group will be protesting at Madison Park Christian Church in Quincy from 8:15 to 8:55 a.m. Then group plans to go to St. Peter Catholic Church from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and to the Hannibal First Church of the Nazarene from in Hannibal, Mo. from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
The Western Courier reported that WBC was coming to WIU because of the university’s football game against Indiana State University, which has an openly gay team member.
As of Monday night, more than 525 people had RSVP’d on the Facebook event as coming. Another 1,300 said they were interested. The WBC has protested at military funerals and emotional events for the LGBTQ community such as the Pulse massacre a two and a half years ago.
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