We shall overcome. We shall overcome.
We shall overcome someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

For those of you searching for a truth in life, take this: All you need is love.

Love permeated through the group of students, parents, teachers and other community members as they stood their ground in front of the Gunn marquee sign on Jan. 29 at 7:20 a.m.

United in response to the protest by the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a group known for its "God Hates Fags" slogan, the crowd grew as more people arrived, carrying signs, wearing "Gay? Fine by me" shirts or simply embracing love. With the Gunn Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) singing songs of hope and the crowd cheering as drivers passing by honked in a show of support, the protesters were quickly drowned out. "I didn't even notice they were there," senior GSA vice president Jessie Schroeder said.

We’ll walk hand in hand. We’ll walk hand in hand.
We’ll walk hand in hand someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We’ll walk hand in hand someday.

In the days approaching WBC’s protest, former interim GSA advisor Todd Summers was anxious. “I didn’t know what was going to happen and I was concerned about the kids and how they would react,” Summers said. English teacher Jordan Huizing shared the same fears. “I was a little scared because we are emotionally vulnerable,” she said.

Schroeder, who helped organize the GSA effort, added that the group approached the event knowing it would be difficult, but that they “had to stand strong and hold the message of love.” Senior GSA president Will Cromarty, however, was excited. “I looked forward to the opportunity to exercise the first amendment [the right to assembly and free speech] while working towards acceptance in our community,” he wrote in an e-mail.

We shall live in peace. We shall live in peace.
We shall live in peace someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.

Though some initially showed strong support for a rally against the WBC messages, Principal Noreen Likins informed the student body during a school-wide assembly on Jan. 26 that direct contact with the members would not be appropriate.

While planning for the event, GSA members agreed that a peaceful demonstration would be the best response. “We didn’t want to give [the protesters] the satisfaction of [arousing a reaction],” Summers said. Cromarty clarified that the purpose of the GSA demonstration was not to argue with the protesters or change their minds, but to respond to their presence. “Our counter-protest was intended to support and unify the school and to demonstrate to anyone passing by that we won’t let the WBC walk all over us,” he wrote in an e-mail.

It was therefore no surprise when a crowd of Gunn students and teachers, as well as people from other schools and organizations, showed up to demonstrate peacefully. Some held up signs saying “Love is love,” “Love is no crime” and “Zero tolerance for intolerance,” while others waved rainbow or Israeli flags. One woman chanted “Peace, love and happiness!” Teachers and students held a long banner saying “There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope and its endurance. Love will never come to an end,” a Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 13. Some GSA members carried white angel wings on their backs, a reference to a previous WBC picketing incident in which a group of people with angel wings surrounded the protesters and blocked them off.

At the center of the crowd stood a large group of GSA members who sang songs such as “We Shall Overcome,” “This Little Light of Mine,” “Imagine” by John Lennon and “Let it Be” by the Beatles. Sophomore Daniel Wolfert, one of the guitar players of the GSA group, was “elated and glad that Gunn did not respond with anger.” “We didn’t want to fight,” he said. “We want to live in peace.”

We shall all be one. We shall all be one.
We shall all be one someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall be one someday.

Members from outside the Gunn community were present at the demonstration, including students from Los Gatos High School, Homestead High School, Palo Alto High School and community organizations such as Outlet, a Mountain View-based support and outreach program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning teens. “It feels really good to see so many people here standing strong, not getting upset and supporting the message of love,” Outlet director Eileen Ross said. In addition to participating in the demonstration, Ross also stayed on campus afterward to provide support.

Los Gatos High School junior Monty Curtis arrived early at Gunn with a group of friends and protested with signs. “It’s ridiculous that people can just condemn others for what they deem to be morally wrong,” he said. “God equals love.”

We are not afraid. We are not afraid.
We are not afraid today.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.

Upon hearing that the WBC had decided to target Gunn and learning about the messages that they preached, the community reacted with shock and disgust. “They have a blind hate for everything and it’s confusing,” Huizing said. However, students steadfastly held onto their own beliefs. “We’re here standing with people we don’t know, not letting anything get to us, and it shows that we don’t tolerate anything that’s not love or equality,” senior Chanel Miller said. Senior Etienne Melese agrees. “They’re not making an impact,” he said.

We shall overcome. We shall overcome.
We shall overcome someday.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

When the clock on the marquee flashed 7:50 a.m., the protesters were on their way and the crowd erupted into song. “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye!” After the protesters disappeared, GSA members led the crowd in one last rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”

“We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish—unity and community,” Summers said. “I’m so proud of how the situation was handled, and I am honored to be a staff member here.” Cromarty stated that he felt ecstatic after the demonstration. “I was impressed and overjoyed with the amount of support for equality and acceptance,” he wrote in an e-mail. “It was one of the best [demonstrations] I’ve taken part in.”

Huizing also felt that the event was “incredibly positive.” “This experience has given me a healthy dose of faith in the school, community and people in general,” she said.

Wolfert agrees. “The protesters can’t win,” he said. “We have too much love.”