Kansas officials expressed dismay. Phelps, who viciously invades and protests at the funerals of AIDS-felled gay men, responded by threatening a protest trip to Duluth.

A heartening show of America's finest values was then given by Duluth's citizens who, along with their Mayor, Gary Doty, demonstrated to the hate-mongering Kansas clergyman that anti-gay-hate-promotionals aren't appreciated in Duluth.

A week in advance of Phelps' announced arrival time, the city had begun to prepare itself to deal with his proposed City Hall protest. When he became a no-show, hundreds of Duluthians gathered anyway to celebrate their deep commitment to loving and pluralistic neighborliness.

Their celebration, similar to a 1960s peace rally, became a spontaneous reminder of the American heartland's natural commitment to human rights and to neighborly living, stirring onlookers to reflect, for a change, on what's going right in the United States.

Duluth Mayor Gary Doty told a standing-room only crowd: "We do not accept hatred in the city of Duluth. We will not allow hate mongers to come here and make something out of our community that it isn't."

Phelps issued a message saying he'd postponed his Duluth visit until July.

Later, at another scheduled meeting, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, where Phelps' July arrival was discussed, city planner Lewis, at the controversy's center, told those assembled: "Everyone should enjoy the wonderful support we have in our community."

Lewis cautioned his listeners not to forget that gay men and lesbians who live in Topeka, Kansas, the site of Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church, lack the kind of loving support that Duluth has given its gay denizens.

Lewis, earlier, had called on Topeka to adopt laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, laws such as Minnesota has passed.

Those in attendance at Duluth's Gloria Dei meeting watched a documentary titled Not in Our Town, which told how, in 1993, neighbors in Billings, Montana had united to protect Jewish families attacked by Klansmen and white supremacists.

Gloria Dei's parish assistant and youth director, Richie Townsend, said of the Reverend Phelps, "Just because he's not coming now, doesn't mean we don't have work to do. We want to make sure we take the energy he has stirred up and use it. He has put our ministry into full throttle here at Gloria Dei . We're tempted to send him a thank you note."