When Kansas University student Megan Vail read about The Million Fag March through the social networking website Facebook, she immediately felt she had  to sign up. 

“I was born and raised in Topeka and the Phelps family was a daily part of my life,” Vail told GaySoFla, referring to the notorious homophobic family that leads protests at funerals of hate-crime victims and American soldiers across the country.   

As a high school student, Vail served as co-president of her school’s Gay Straight Alliance chapter and was involved with an organization called Unity Boulevard.  Her participation in counter protests organized by these two groups often brought her and her friends face-to-face with Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church.    

“The Thursday after the Twin Towards collapsed on 9/11 the Phelps family took to the streets, proclaiming that the terrorist attack was God’s will and America deserved it because of our support of homosexuals,” she recalls.  To counter-balance the hateful message being espoused by the fundamentalist church, Vail joined hundreds of her friends for a pro love and peace rally at Topeka’s Gage Park the same Thursday night.    

On Sunday, March 31, Vail, along with her friends Korrie Johnson & Ashlynn Horras, went back Gage Park in her hometown in an effort to show the world that not all of the city’s residents are narrow minded bigots.  Joining over 400 people touting messages of compassions and tolerance for gays, the college students joined straight, gay and transgender picketers, as passerby motorists honked their car horns in support for the protest.     

When asked about the protest, Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Rev. Phelps and an attorney for the church, said the only purpose for the event was to create a disruption.  “We don’t care (if they picket),” Phelps-Roper said.  “We are so thankful they are coming here and bearing witness we have been faithful.   

When asked why the church members didn’t protest the counter protest, she claimed the Phelps clan was busy protesting in Florida and California.    

Event organizer Chris Love says he issued an invitation for Westboro Church members to attend but didn’t get a response.  “I don’t think what we’re doing is going to change them,” Love observed.  “This event is to show the world that not everyone in Kansas is like the Phelps’.”   Love said plans are already underway for a similar rally next year.  Perhaps that will give Westboro members plenty of time to plan and squeeze The Million Fag March into their church calendar.    

More Photos of The Million Fag March to be posted soon in the GaySoFla Photo Gallery.