The Westboro Effect Triggers Embarrassing Counter-Protest

It seems every time the Westboro Baptist Church protests, the real effect is a huge show of support for LGBT people.

When protesters showed up today at Santa Monica High School in California to protest its accepting environment for LGBT students, the Westboro effect launched a huge counter-protest by the students themselves. Sign-waving supporters lined up along a sidewalk across the street, many times more in numbers.

Then, Westboro left. Sarah Wahrenbrock, a spokeswoman with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District superintendent's office, told the Los Angeles Times, "They did show up, but they weren't around very long."

When Westboro recently announced a protest of Vassar, it triggered an online counter-protest that has so far raised nearly $90,000 for The Trevor Project, which combats LGBT teen suicide with its message of inclusion.

In the video below, see why the protest in Santa Monica might have been cut short.