Same-sex marriage protest never materializes
By Dan Mac Alpine, Beverly Citizen | May 6, 2006
A threatened protest of a same-sex marriage at First Baptist Church on Cabot St. never materialized Saturday night, leaving a contingent of 12 Beverly Police officers milling about and a Fox News 25 cameraman sitting on the curb, camera at his side.
About 150 supporters of the marriage gathered at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church next door to the Baptist Church.
The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., threatened to protest the marriage of the Rev. Craig A. Collemer, minister at the First Baptist Church, and his partner of 15 years, Gary LaParl.
Minutes before the wedding, Collemer and LaParl visited the vigil and embraced Rev. Sylvia Howe, minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church.
The First Baptist Church congregation and Collemer and LaParl made no public comment and released only a brief written statement that said in part, “Although we would have hoped to experience this Service in peace and without opposition, we recognize that what makes this country great and wonderful is that people have the right to express their opinions openly.”
Last June, members of the Westboro church protested at the funeral of Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Piper in Marblehead. Piper was killed in action in Iraq. The Westboro group believes combat deaths in Iraq are God’s vengeance against the United States for tolerating homosexuals.
“We don’t expect that the Westboro group will show up at this point,” said Beverly Police Chief John Cassola. “The State Police told us they usually call the local police to stay out of any confrontation. They haven’t contacted local police and they didn’t respond to three of our e-mails.”
Across Cabot Street, Mark Nystedt, a congregant at Pilgrim Holiness Church in Haverhill, passed out paper squares with, “God hates haters,” written on them.
“I’m uncomfortable with same-sex marriage,” said Nystedt, who was part of a group of about half a dozen people. “I’m more uncomfortable with hate.”
Vigil participants at the Unitarian Universalist Church gathered under the church’s rainbow flag, its symbol of inclusion, several bunches of balloons and signs reading, “Being different is not a sin,” and “What defines beauty.”
Parents with toddlers, men in business suits, clergy from three denominations, same-sex couples and heterosexual couples, a contingent from Beverly High School and another from Monsterrat College of Art — some of the younger people in the crowd with multiple face piercings — congregated in front of the church and sang hymns and secular songs.
The strains of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” “Kumbya,” “Love will guide us,” floated over the rattle of passing Cabot St. traffic.
“I thought the turnout was terrific,” said Howe. “I was really pleased so many young adults came.”
The words the Westboro Baptist Church used to promote its protest on its Web site: Godhatesfags.com contrasted sharply with vigil songs.
“WBC to picket the wedding of two filthy fagots,” the site read. “God hates fags! and fag enablers! Ergo, God hates these Hell-bound sodomite beasts.”
Other clergy at the vigil included Rabbi Steven Rubenstein of Temple B’nai Abraham and Ed Green, a retired Episcopal priest, who attended with his husband, George Vanhazinga.
“I wanted to support my colleague,” said Rubenstein, who said same-sex marriage “wasn’t an issue” his congregation had discussed.
Posters in the high-school hallways and a posting on a Myspace.com page promoted the vigil among BHS students.
Michael Nigro, 26, and Russell Potochi, 23, both of Beverly said they have been dating for about two months and said they attended the vigil to support same-sex marriage.
“It’s inspiring to have so many people on your side,” said Potochi. “It shows you aren’t alone.”
“I came because I believe gays should be allowed to marry,” said Roger Dion, 15, of Beverly who attended the vigil with his parents. “I used to be one of the ones who didn’t believe that. But my sister has gay friends and I started hanging out with them and I found out they are just like everyone else.”
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