Rights group supports gay-themed play

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A group in Kalamazoo, Mich., was formed to support a high school play with gay themes after a Kansas church threatened to picket the performance.

The Stop the Hate in Kalamazoo Coalition formed last week after Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., said it would show up to picket the first performance of "The Laramie Project" at Kalamazoo Central High School, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported Thursday.

The play, which opens Feb. 22, is based on the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, who was the victim of a homophobic hate crime which ended with him being beaten to death.

"If you rebel against the standards of God and live like Matthew Shepard, you will join him in hell for eternity," a member of the Kansas church said, the newspaper reported.

Christopher Barrett, who is directing the high school production, said the coalition plays an important role in teaching the community about the nature of the play and supporting the actors.

"People may not understand the magnitude of a hate group such as this entering our community," Barrett said.