Anti-gay group plans protest at pride parade

Dan Kulin

Friday, May 14, 2004 | 8:51 a.m.

Tonight's gay pride parade in downtown Las Vegas will have the usual floats, marching bands, and, for what may be the first time ever, protesters.

The annual parade and a Saturday festival come days after about 10 people from a Kansas-based anti-gay group rallied in front of the Las Vegas Academy to protest a school's performance of the play "The Laramie Project."

Those protesters were met Wednesday by about 250 counter-protesters supporting the school and the play, which is about Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death in 1998 for being gay.

Tonight and tomorrow the Westboro Baptist Church will likely be outnumbered by thousands.

The sixth annual gay pride parade is scheduled to begin at 8 tonight at Hoover Avenue and Fourth Street, and go down Fourth to Fremont Street.

James Healey, president of the Southern Nevada Association of Pride, which is organizing the parade and festival, said between 6,000 and 10,000 spectators are expected for the parade.

"I think they'll be in for a surprise when they see how much support Las Vegas has," Healey said.

"I think it will add to the entertainment of the event," Healey said about the possible protest from the Westboro Baptist Church, which the Anti-Defamation League has called "virulently homophobic."

"Our main goal is education and awareness to the community ... This gives us another chance to show how normal we are compared to them," said Healey, who thinks it's the first time the parade will be protested.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, an attorney and member of the Westboro Baptist Church, said her group was originally scheduled to leave Las Vegas today, but decided to stay until Sunday once they found out about the parade and festival.

She said a group of about 12 protesters will set up along the parade route and hold anti-gay signs and sing anti-gay songs. The group also has leveled verbal attacks on Jews, blacks and other Christian faiths.

Phelps-Roper said the protesters will stand on the sidewalk and not get in the way of the parade or festival.

Brandon Johnson, entertainment and marketing director for the Gipsy, a Las Vegas gay nightclub, said he thinks the protesters might bring more media attention to the parade.

"This is 2004, give me a break, people don't care anymore," Johnson said about anti-gay protesters.

"But it's their right to protest, it's a free country," he said. "But whenever you have situations like this, it focuses more attention on it."

Except for the possible added attention on the parade, Johnson said he doesn't expect the protesters will have an impact on the event, unless they try to obstruct it.

Bob Bellis, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, said he thinks the recent attention stirred up by the church group will eventually bolster the gay community here.

"Three-hundred people were there, and Vegas is not known for its protests. That was a lot of support, a show of solidarity, saying stop discrimination," Bellis said referring to the school counter-protest. "It's going to help energize the community ... But it will take sometime to organize the community."

The Saturday festival will begin at noon at the Las Vegas Events Center at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Sunset Road, Healey said. Admission is $12 for those 21 and older and $5 for those under 21.