Having participated in interviews with the Westboro Baptist Church last summer, I am familiar with the type of rhetoric used by the church. As such, I don’t believe that I will have trouble managing my feelings or responsive while on site. Even though I don’t believe in the values of the church, such as their feelings on LGBTQ+ rights, I am willing to listen and consider their perspective on the issue. I believe that there is something valuable in listening to those with which we disagree.

Additionally, I am looking forward to interacting with church members on a more personal basis, as we were able to accomplish last summer. For instance, I had a personal connection with one member of the church, Jonathan Phelps. Jonathan shared a moving story with me about a young girl whom he helped to defend in juvenile court. This girl inspired strong feelings in Jonathan, to the point where he was tearing up. It was a special moment to witness this man feel such a connection to a girl outside of his church community, though the stated values of the church may discourage this type of interaction.

Furthermore, I am excited to learn more about the church members through interviews, especially considering that I am creating my own research project for our visit this summer. I hope to learn more about the interactions between church members and their young children, looking at how children grow and learn within the church. While I understand that this line of research may be greeted with scrutiny or even hostility, especially considering the touchy subject of children leaving the church, I am interested in seeing the type of responses that church members are willing to share with me. Overall, I am very excited to be going back and having the opportunity to work with these individuals again.