The Montana Human Rights Network will not be allowed to set up a table at a Carroll College lecture next week out of fears that it might prompt a confrontation on issues surrounding gays and lesbians.

The featured speaker at Tuesday's lecture, Judy Shepard, is the mother of Matthew Shepard. He was a gay 21-year-old who was murdered in Wyoming in 1998 because of his sexual orientation. Since then, his mother has testified before Congress and given scores of speeches on the prevention of hate crimes.

State Rep. Christine Kaufmann, co-director of the Human Rights Network, said they wanted to set up a table with brochures at the event because she feels the college is "dancing around" the fact that Matthew Shepard was murdered because he was gay.

"We thought that it was important, since they were not willing to say he was gay, that there should be something about gay and lesbian equality there," said Kaufmann. "It's also important for people in the community to support the organizations that work to carry forth the kind of climate that promotes tolerance."

Nancy Lee, spokesperson for Carroll, said that's the point of the conference -- to promote tolerance for everyone, regardless of their race, sex, religion or sexual orientation. But what concerns her about allowing the Human Rights Network to set up a table on campus is a threat by a radical anti-homosexual organization to picket the event. A flier sent out by the group also makes references to the use of "Improvised Explosive Devices."

The Westboro Baptist Church, based in Kansas, is known for strongly worded anti-gay press releases. The most recent one sent to Helena says it will picket "the sodomite whorehouse masquerading as Carroll College ..." for bringing Judy Shepard to the campus.

Lee said they've notified the Helena Police Department of their concerns, and will have security staff on hand. No picketers will be allowed on the private college campus, but Lee is worried that the Westboro members may put down their signs and join the public event, then disrupt it.

"The table request is where it gets difficult," Lee said. "If we had the tables out there, we're just asking for a confrontation and we don't want to go there."

She noted that the college does have a gay and lesbian alliance on campus and they're scheduled to meet with Judy Shepard.

In addition, a letter to Kaufmann from Jim Harwick, vice president for student life at Carroll, he states that the story of Matthew Shepard is not unfamiliar in the Carroll community. For the past three years, freshmen have been required to attend an annual screening of the movie "The Laramie Project," which is based on Matthew Shepard's death.

"But we are concerned about the Westboro reaction if there are open tables out there, and that causes controversy in the meeting," Lee said. "We don't want to engage them and that's the number one thing."

Not allowing the Human Rights Network to set up a table at next Tuesday's event comes on the heals of campus officials withdrawing an invitation to Planned Parenthood to speak at a panel discussion last month. Campus officials said that Planned Parenthood's stance on abortion and reproduction rights violates Carroll College's mission and commitment to Catholic values and ideals.

Lee acknowledged that "wrongfully or rightfully," people may equate the Planned Parenthood situation with this recent table request, but notes that the two are in no way related.

She said that Judy Shepard was scheduled to speak at Carroll last spring, but they rescheduled due to an outbreak of whooping cough.

"There wasn't any intention on Carroll's part to deny that Matthew is gay and that he was murdered because of that. It's a known fact," Lee said. "She is coming her to talk about the whole concept of respect for individuals, which is part of the Catholic teachings."