In 2017 Danica Roem, the nation’s first out transgender woman was elected to serve on Virginia’s House of Delegates. When Danica Roem was elected many organizations like Westboro Baptists Church were not too happy with her position on the State legislature. On March 11th at 9 am the organization, Westboro Baptist Church is heading to the Virginia State Capitol in order to protest Danica Roem’s rightful seat on Virginia’s state legislature.

Randy Blythe, the singer of the metal band Lamb of God recently announced that he is organizing a “counter-party” against the organization, Westboro Baptist Church. On March 8th, Blythe shared his plans on Instagram for a counter-party rather than a counter-protest. Blythe states, “Not a counter-protest because it would entail arguing with these idiots (which is useless)”. His plan is to drown them out with Kazoos and distract them with a costume contest. He is offering an incentive of $100 to the person with the best costume and is making the morning a more peaceful resistance. The metal singer makes it clear that he is not looking for conflict with Westboro Baptist Church, but instead, his goals are to protect his friend and to stand up for the trans community. In the post, Blythe highlights the many things Westboro has protested in the past such as, “military funerals, Kansas City Chiefs football games, and the funerals of people killed by natural disasters”. Loudwire featured his Instagram announcement of the counter-party and states that the Westboro Baptist Church protests usually do not work in their favor, stating “Don’t mess with rock and metal”.

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(Please re-post!) ATTENTION! PEOPLE OF RICHMOND! CALLING ALL FREAKS, WEIRDOS, MISFITS, & REGULAR PEOPLE OF GOOD CONSCIOUS! This coming Monday, March 11, 2019, the buffoons of the #WESTBOROBAPTISTCHURCH (AKA the “God Hates Fags” losers) are coming to our fair city of Richmond, VA. They will be at our state Capitol at 9 am, then over by VCU at 9:45, spreading their bizarre brand of hate mongering. Why? They are protesting my friend, a fairly elected member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Danica Roem- Danica is an award-winning journalist, a heavy metal musician & all-around #RIPPER (who happens to be a trans-woman.) These “Christians” are always picketing military funerals, Kansas City Chiefs football games, the funerals of people killed by natural disasters– their insane activities are too many to list. They even picketed at the funerals of #FredRogers & tried to find the funereal of #LeonardNimoy (but they failed- ha!) – WHO PROTESTS THE FUNERALS OF THOSE TWO GREATEST OF AMERICAN MISTERS, MISTER ROGERS & MISTER SPOCK?!?!? THEY PICKETED DIO’S FUNEREAL- oh, HELL NO. And these people are coming to MY TOWN?!?? They have left me no choice- in the name of all that is GOOD & JUST in this world, in the name of PUNK ROCK & HEAVY METAL, in the name of #MISTERROGERS & #MISTERSPOCK, IN THE NAME OF MY BELOVED FRIEND #DAVEBROCKIE (R.I.P.)… I COMMAND YOU TO JOIN ME FOR A COUNTER-PARTY!!! NOT a counter-PROTEST, because that would entail arguing with these idiots (which is USELESS), but a COUNTER-PARTY. I WILL BE BRINGING 100 KAZOOS- WE WILL HAVE A #KAZOO #CHAMPAGNEJAM. WE WILL PLAY THE “BENNY HILL” & “SANFORD & SONS” THEME SONGS. WE WILL DROWN THEM OUT WITH CHEAP BUZZING PLASTIC NOISE MAKERS. I will also be bringing a BRAND NEW 100 DOLLAR BILL as a CASH PRIZE for BEST COSTUME worn to the #COUNTERPARTY. A hundred kazoos AND a hundred dollar prize?!?? IT’S ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. So Monday, MARCH 11, 2019, 9 AM, VIRGINIA STATE CAPITOL- PUT ON YOUR CORPSEPAINT, YOUR RAINBOW WIG, YOUR INFLATABLE SUMO WRESTLER COSTUME. FLY YOUR FREAK FLAG HIGH! LET’S PARTY!!!!!

A post shared by D. Randall Blythe (@drandallblythe) on Mar 8, 2019 at 10:11am PST

Blythe grew up in Franklin, Virginia and he makes it clear that he will not stand by an attack on his own city. Randy and Danica are close friends, making the protest an even more personal attack. Blythe makes it clear that Roem is his friend in his Instagram post, “Why? They are protesting my friend, a fairly elected member of the Virginia House of Delegates”. Danica Roem is also a fan of heavy metal and used to be the singer of the metal band, Cab Ride Home. The “counter-party” will be held at 9 am on Monday, March,11th at the Virginia State Capitol. Randy Blythe encourages people to, “put on your corpsepaint, your rainbow wig, your inflatable sumo wrestler costume. Fly your freak flag high!.”

Photo Credit: Owen Ela

UPDATE (3/12):

Randy Blythe’s counter-party flooded the Virginia State Capitol with wild dancing and loud kazoos, making Westboro Baptist Church leave early from their protest. Virginians took the streets of Richmond to protect Danica Roem’s rightful seat on the House of Delegates. Blythe’s counter-party drowned out Westboro Baptist Church and made a clear statement to the organization.

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