By JENELLE GREWELL | News Editor and TINEA PAYNE | Chief Copy Editor

Students gathered in front of the APSU campus at the intersection of University Avenue and College Street Wednesday, Feb. 3, evening in support of the arrival of Judy Shepard, guest speaker of the annual Unity Celebration Dinner.

Students held up signs with messages like “Every life is unique” and “Matthew Shepard is in heaven,” displayed by a student wearing an angel outfit. Many held signs displaying the message “Someone you know is gay,” “Where’s Waldo?” and “I can has cheeseburgers?”

Students held up the signs “Jesus does not hate” and “Reason + Science= no god” aside each other.
Kim Proctor, freshman biology major, and Kelly Campbell, freshman communications major, wielded paper signs. “One of my best friends is gay. I love gay people,” Proctor said. “I am not in support of Westboro being here,” Campbell said.

Meg Simpson, junior English major, said she and Bryant Smith, freshman English major, organized the rally. “We along with two or three other groups sent out e-mails and word of mouth and just told people in the community who would be interested in this,” Simpson said. “I did not want them polluting our campus with hate.”

Some of the protestors began to sing Lady Gaga songs like “LoveGame.” One student, dressed as an angel, held a sign displaying, “You really shouldn’t piss of Lady Gaga’s fan but we love you anyways…jerks.”

Smith shouted in the crows “Westboro got scared and canceled.” The crowd erupted into cheers. Picketers waved their signs to the passing cars and as cars honked the crowd cheered. “We wanted to show that APSU is a diverse campus. We support Judy Shepard and her message,” Smith said.

Liza Kurtz, senior sociology major, said she spread the word about the rally and word about the gathering gained momentum.

“I tried to talk about it to people, announced it in class and Facebooked it. It really took off with out us knowing. It was really a grassroots and that worked.”

Kurtz mentioned the arrival of Westboro Baptist Church, an religious group who originally scheduled their arrival at APSU to picket Shepard’s arrival on their Web site.

“Westboro is so extreme. No one is ever going to change their mind. It is important to show different points of view, even though Clarksville is a predominately Christian town, we are not intolerant,” Kurtz said.

“I know who Judy Shepard is, but a lot of people do not. I think people just don’t think of crimes against gays being hate crimes. This is the civil rights movement of this generation.”

“The word ‘hate’, that’s what moved to come here,” Ilza Harrell, Spanish professor said. Harrell held a sign displaying the message “I love polka dots,” she said. “Happiness is the message I want to spread. This sign is a visual appeal. It makes me happy and everyone loves polka dots. Everyone will look at it and smile and that is what everyone is doing.” Harrell said. “Polka dots to me represent the dreams and innocence; I believe in innocence.”

Gabrielle Shannon, freshman pre-med major, and her girlfriend, Charlene Stewart, came holding a rainbow flag. “We came to support Judy Shepard. Not only for gay pride but she needs all the help she can get,” Stewart said.

“It makes me feel so gay,” Stewart said in response to the number of supporters. “I did not know so many people would be here. It is 2010 and people are opening their eyes,” Stewart said. “It makes me feel loved that people think. It makes me feel like we are doing something.”

Sherryl Byrd, vice president of Student Affairs, said she was proud that APSU students were willing to support diversity and tolerance. “This is a totally grass roots effort and it shows what students committed to an effort can do.”

“I think this will help our community. It helps students realize what a community can do and it takes many types to make that community,” Byrd said.

An overflow of students stood in the Clement Auditorium lobby to hear Shepard’s speech. Kaydee Hankins, junior art major who was raised in a “very traditional Christian family,” surveyed the speech from the lobby and said she agreed with Shepard’s message about loving people and being true to oneself. “It really rings true in a lot of ways. I think it’s pretty awesome,” Hankins said. “We need another hippie era.”

“I think it was absolutely it was absolutely wonder and educational,” said Amanda Halloway, Volunteer State Community College student who drove from her native Nashville to support Shepard. “It helps to erase all the ignorance that surrounds the world.”

Halloway said she heard Shepard speak at Middle Tennessee State University and came to APSU to help protest against Westboro. “I heard about Westboro coming to protest and as much as I support everyone having an opinion, I do not believe they should spread hate,” Halloway said. “As much as they believe the gay lifestyle is disgusting, I think them saying Matthew Shepard deserved to die and is going to hell is even more disgusting.”

Halloway said she thinks the more educated people are the more they learn to speak out. “I think the biggest problem is not enough people in the community speak out.”