The Orlando Shakespeare Theatre’s ‘Guardian Angels’ divine outfits block hateful messages from the Westboro Baptist Church

Members of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Orlando have taken their love of crafting costumes and turned it into a powerful message of love for the LGBT community by using ‘angel wings’ to block the anti-gay signs of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) from view at the Orlando victim’s funeral service.

A handful of WBC followers turned up to the funeral held for Christopher Leinonen on Saturday 18 June 2016 wielding their typical anti-LGBT signs, however the Shakespeare Theatre Company had predicted their movements, and devised a way to counter the protestors.

The angel costumes worn by the counter-protesters were designed with large white wings that spread to over six feet in height, successfully blocking the WBC protestors from negatively impacting on the funeral for the victim of the Orlando mass shooting.

BBC reports that Suzanne Draper, a supporter of the counter-WBC movement said: “I think our presence here is just to show support for the families of the victims and we want to make sure that we’re an ally.”

These “angels” stood between the funeral of the victim of Orlando shooting & protestors of Westboro Baptist Church. pic.twitter.com/EFfB6UPkQf

— Gautam Trivedi (@Gotham3) June 20, 2016

WBC Removed

The WBC protestors were eventually removed from the scene by the Orlando Police Department.

The people who turned up in support of the victim for the funeral started to cheer and chant for the Orlando Police Department after they removed the WBC protestors from the location.

Westboro protesters have left the state & no plans to return. Thank you to those who met protest with grace & love. pic.twitter.com/PZJ9F9MB9S

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 18, 2016

“OPD, OPD, OPD,” the crowd chanted, while one of the police officers exclaimed “that’s for us,” in surprise.

After OPD Officers escorted Westboro protesters off the funeral scene, here's what the crowd did: #OrlandoUnited pic.twitter.com/eQdKjDqrGT

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 18, 2016

While the WBC has received plenty of media attention for their extremist views on certain topics, they consist of only forty members.

The hashtags #WeAreOrlando and #OrlandoUnited have become popular on social media for people in Orlando and across the world to show support for those who have been affected by the mass shooting.

(Image: Gautam Trivedi)