Help me Rattle Some Bigots
If you go to the UO or live nearby: Wellspring Church (Roseburg's Westborough baptist) has been harassing students around campus every Friday around noon. If I can't get them banned from campus, I want to organize to let them know they'll meet fierce resistance.
Please Comment/DM me if you have ideas: I can give you my discord info.
My first thought is to make a discord or chat of some sort, to let people drop pins/share the location of where they saw wellspring, so any willing volunteers can swarm.
These folks are the worst. They've assaulted pride parade goers, mocked victims of police violence, and bring their children with them to pass out business cards and hold signs detailing the eternal suffering that awaits queers and other sinners.
I've been collecting info about them to share with the dean of students: "invading christ-less spaces" is a phrase in their mission statement. Their page is full of hate sermons. They're connected with a private school with big white nationalist vibes and a church-management business.
They explicitly prioritize sending out old, male volunteers + de-prioritize women, and make all volunteers sign a theological agreement that includes the most oppressive and backwards views towards women and queer people, denies Covid and systemic racism, and tells volunteers to be ready for "war".
...in essence, they really don't belong anywhere on this planet, but I especially don't want to stand by as they re-traumatize and harass already stressed young people.
My involvement last Friday and in future events would be focused on drowning them out with messages of kindness and love, and if children are present again, especially making sure that those messages are particularly relevant for and helpful to kids.
Initial Ideas:
-Kind signs/pamphlets/books
-Singing/performing secular songs of solidarity- bonus if they're flagrantly queer.
-A long game: having an incredibly long flag pole + scattering seeds/treats to encourage birds and other critters to congregate wherever the flag is. Bring it to the swarming.