Hundreds of metalheads turned out to counterprotest the Westboro Baptist Church and show support for the state’s first transgender delegate at the Virginia State Capitol on Monday.
Half a dozen members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, the radical group known for holding anti-gay protests at military funerals, was demonstrating against Del. Danica Roem (D), according to the Virginia Mercury.
But the church members were far outnumbered by the metalheads, who drowned them out with kazoos, drums and wild costumes.
Roem is herself a metal musician and vocalist for the Virginia-based band Cab Ride Home.
The so-called “counterparty” was organized by Roem’s friend and Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe.
Blythe told the Mercury that there was “no point” in engaging the members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
“These people are coming out and speaking a bunch of ignorance about my friend,” he said. “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.”
Roem was not present at the protest but used the Westboro Baptist Church’s presence as an opportunity to fundraise for her reelection campaign, raising over $25,000, the Mercury reported.