Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against LGBT rights[1] and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag.[2] The church, based in a residential neighborhood in Topeka, Kansas, United States, is widely described as a hate group[3] and is monitored as such by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Established in 1955 it is headed by Fred Phelps and consists mostly of members of his family,[4][5] and actively involved in the anti-gay movement since at least 1991. They came into the national spotlight in 1998 for picketing the high-profile funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who was gay bashed to death,[6] and has since attracted attention for many more actual and announced funeral pickets.[7] Though their initial focus was on gay people and the funerals of AIDS patients,[8] the WBC broadened their scope to include all "fag enablers" which included the entire United States for not having a strong enough stance against homosexuality.[9] In 2005, they got moremainstream attention outside the LGBT media when they announced a picket for an Iraqi War veteran's memorial service.[10] In addition to anti-gay protests at military funerals, the organization pickets celebrity funerals that are likely to get it media attention.[11]

Quotes

They died in shame and disgrace, citizens of a cursed nation of...unholy perverts who have departed from the living God to worship on 'Brokeback Mountain'.

reprinted quote in Advocate magazine (Feb 14, 2006) from WBC press release explaining why it would stage antigay protests at funerals of miners killed in the Sago Mine disaster (Jan 2, 2006 in Sago, West Virginia)[12]

Signs Carried by the Westboro Baptist Church

  • Thank God for Katrina.

Attributed

  1. ↑ God Hates Fags. Westboro Baptist Church. Retrieved on June 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ School plans 'safe' show - Page 1 - Times Union - Albany NY. Times Union (2009-11-14). Retrieved on 2011-05-11.
  3. ↑ Westboro Baptist Church. Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved on June 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ John Blake (March 14, 2010). "'Most-hated,' anti-gay preacher once fought for civil rights". CNN. Retrieved on 2010-05-20.
  5. ↑ "America's most hated family". BBC News UK. Interview with Louis Theroux. 30 March 2007. Retrieved on 2010-09-10.
  6. ↑ "Murder charges planned in beating death of gay student". CNN (Fort Collins, Colorado). October 12, 1998. Retrieved on December 28, 2010.
  7. ↑ Church group to protest Pitt. Retrieved on August 22, 2009.
  8. ↑ Far Right: Somebody Hates Fred, The Advocate Jul 9, 2002, page 17.
  9. ↑ Michele J Eliason, An Integral Approach To Sexual Identity: Beyond Religion and Science, Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, pages 67-87.
  10. ↑ Fall from Grace - Documentary Directed by K. Ryan Jones - 2008
  11. ↑ Wing, Nick (12/9/10). "Elizabeth Edwards Funeral To Be Picketed By Westboro Baptist Church". The Huffington Post.
  12. ↑ The Advocate, Feb 14, 2006, page 22.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
  14. ↑ Westboro Baptist Church (2006-01-15). Rejoice, Because Your Names are Written in Heaven (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑
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