An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign sponsored by Facebook God, a cartoon character that has nearly 2 million followers, is raising money to place billboards that say “God Loves Gays” around the country.
God, whose true identity remains unknown, spoke in the campaign video.
“The Westboro Baptist Church, this hate group goes around saying God hates gay people. Nonsense, I love gay people.”
The campaign initially intended to place one of the billboards in Topeka, Kansas near the home of the Westboro Baptist Church, a group known for its extreme stance on homosexuality. However, after the initial billboard was posted, funding continued to skyrocket. Now, God has decided to take the message beyond the original billboard to Salt Lake City, but the group is having a hard time finding a company willing to post the message.
Mark Lawrence is director of the nonprofit group Restore our Humanity, which was a key player in the Kitchen v. Herbert case and is involved in the God Loves Gays campaign. He says he was surprised that Reagan Outdoor Advertising and Yesco, two of the companies he approached, wouldn’t post the signs.
“I thought maybe it might make some of these billboard companies a little uneasy, but I did not realize they would come right out and reject it.”
Dewey Reagan, President of Reagan, says the company leases many of the boards from private landowners. He says the company has promised to post no controversial content. Reagan adds if the boards are considered too controversial by property owners and are taken down, the company may lose the boards altogether because of new zoning laws.
However, Lawrence says the company’s stance is hypocritical.
“We were talking to Dewey Reagan the other day from the Reagan sign company, I was with a companion and we were driving on I-15 in North Salt Lake past one of their billboards and there was a sign with a woman with a tape measure around her breast saying that she need breast augmentation. Now, I find that offensive,” Lawrence said. “But these people cannot put up a simple billboard that says god loves gays, and it makes me wonder if they would accept a billboard from the Westboro Baptist Church that says god hates gays.”
In response, Reagan says he would not accept a “god hates gays” billboard for the same reasons he will not post the words “god loves gays” on a billboard.
Yesco did not return UPR’s calls for comment in time for publication. In comments to the media, the company has said the billboards violated their community standards.
Lawrence says the group will continue to search for a company to post their ads. He says they are also considering buying property and erecting their own billboard.
“For a very long time, people have used God as a weapon to attack gay people. This is a simple, beautiful message that disarms that. How anybody could find that controversial or unacceptable is beyond any reasoning I can think of,” Lawrence said.
The Indiegogo campaign has raised over $93,000 so far.