The Westboro Effect Continues, Raising Thousands for Trevor Project

Westboro Baptist Church continues to accidentally help raise money and attention for LGBT rights with its nonsensical protests.

When the group promised to picket Vassar College on Feb. 28, activists started a countermovement raising cash for The Trevor Project.

Then Westboro promised to picket the "It Gets Better" tour, which showed up in their home state of Kansas. The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles works with It Gets Better to create a traveling musical adaptation its message. The show goes into schools and communities and highlights videos from locals, while also sharing the stories of some in the show.

Via Twitter, Westboro announced it wouldn't miss the show in Lawrence, and would arrive with its "God Hates" signs to protest. That didn't stop the tour, of course.

"Thank you Lawrence, KS for your hospitality, your blossoming anti-bullying Ally coalition and continually combating hate with love," the tour posted after leaving town with another successful show. "It's definitely getting better!"

So far, the online counter-protest-as-fundraiser has blown through its $4,500 goal and continued past the $80,000 mark.

CORRECTION: The traveling musical is affiliated with It Gets Better, not The Trevor Project.