“God hates fags.”

I even despise typing it.  Let alone seeing the pictures of kids carrying signs that loudly display it in bright colors and big block letters.  Especially when they’re holding the signs just feet from a grieving family of a soldier who’s given the ultimate sacrifice.

Fred Phelps, the man behind this movement, the fringe Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, is supposedly on his death bed, and many gays and allies are justifiably supporting his exit from earth.  I’m happy he’ll be gone too.  But should we be celebrating??  If we’re going to ask — no, DEMAND — to be tolerated and loved like straight people, as equals, should we be applauding ANY man’s death?

In some twisted way, couldn’t we even grimace and THANK Fred Phelps and his family for helping to galvanize the gay rights movement?  It’s an anti-gay group that even anti-gay people think is “way too far.”  It’s certainly helped make ANYONE who opposes equality look a little bit crazier.  Ok, calm down, I’m not saying Phelps did anything to aid the remarkable achievements LGBT Americans have made since the church delivered its first laughable sermon in 1955.  But they certainly haven’t managed to slow us down.

Celebrating anyone’s death — from Fred Phelps to Osama bin Laden — is still celebrating death, even though it may feel justified and even a little bit good.

I just think we can do better.

We can love better.  And if we can’t, who are we to ask for equality?