Who would be better to have at a protest than a massive group of metalheads to make noise and drown out hate? At the Virginia state capitol building on Tuesday, the Westboro Baptist Church found themselves outnumbered and outshouted by a group of metalheads organized by Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe to support transgender lawmaker Danica Roem.
The Virginia Mercury reported that:
‘The Kansas-based hate group said it came to Virginia in part to demonstrate against Del. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, who is the state’s first and only openly transgender lawmaker.
‘Roem also happens to be a metal singer, which prompted Richmond-based singer Randy Blythe, who fronts the well-known band Lamb of God and considers Roem a friend, to organize what he called a “counter-party.”’
Randy Blythe is amazing. https://t.co/EI1rbIFaja
— The Metal Experience (Official) Radio Show (@TheMetalEXP) March 9, 2019
Del. Roem is a friend of the Lamb of God frontman and the protest of her presence in Congress infuriated the singer. Blythe posted plans for the counter-protest on Instagram, where he said:
ATTENTION! PEOPLE OF RICHMOND! CALLING ALL FREAKS, WEIRDOS, MISFITS, & REGULAR PEOPLE OF GOOD CONSCIOUS! [SIC] 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 [SIC] of #LeonardNimoy (but they failed- ha!)…
The Westboro members didn’t stay long when confronted by hundreds and hundreds of kazoos drowning out their hate speech. Blythe said that he wouldn’t characterize the gathering as a “counter-protest” because that would involve arguing with the hate group. Instead, he referred to it as a “counter-party.”
Blythe also wrote in the post on Instagram:
‘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!!!!!’
@hEnereyG hopefully this is a good start to your day. Randy Blythe from lamb of god organized a counter party to the Westboro Baptist Church today in Va. this is the result. pic.twitter.com/kN5MAcdkHG
— Corgin Hammersmith (@Finn_Dingo) March 11, 2019
The singer was interviewed by reporters in Virginia about his decision to be a presence supporting Roem. Blythe told them:
‘These people are coming out and speaking a bunch of ignorance about my friend. I don’t like that. So we came out and just drowned them out. That’s the easiest way. There’s no point in engaging these people.’
Metalheads with kazoos, led by Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, drown out a small number of Westboro Baptist Church demonstrators who targeted Del. Danica Roem, a transgender lawmaker & metal singer herself. @nedoliver has photos & story: https://t.co/8ODDWjTgDW pic.twitter.com/AFckJHjczy
— Mason Adams (@MasonAtoms) March 11, 2019
Featured image screenshot via Twitter video
