Rabid anti-gay protesters coming to Union Temple on Saturday

This just in: maniacal anti-gay Kansans are in town for the week and plan to protest in front of Union Temple, at Grand Army Plaza, on Saturday. Westboro Baptist Church, which preaches "God Hates Fags" and similarly insipid messages, has targeted Union Temple and several other Jewish sites in Brooklyn for protests.

No one knows how many protesters to expect or why these particular sites are being targeted. The Brooklyn Paper called the Church for comment but got no response.

It's just a hunch, but I'm betting no more than a handful of people are involved. The church relies on shock value to get publicity for what would otherwise be just another obscure, easily forgotten fringe effort.

Rabbi Andy Bachman of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope is encouraging congregants to simply ignore any protesters. "On Saturday, we will have about 800 people observing the Shabbat in an open tolerant community, he told the Brooklyn Paper. "That's the best response to this bizarre and virulent hatred."

Though Charles and I initially thought about organizing a show of support for our gay and Jewish comrades, we abandoned the plan when we realized Bachman was right. Still, I'm going to have a hard time staying away on Saturday. I'm very curious to see the WBC members; to watch them, like animals in the zoo.