News: Geology, Mr. Blackwell, Pageants, Clay Aiken, Montauk

John Edwards admits affair, says he lied during campaign.

Condoleezza Rice undermines McCain arguments, says U.S. would be safe with Obama: "Oh, the United States will be fine. I think that we are having an important debate about how we keep the country safe. I think we are having an important debate about our responsibilities, our obligations, our interests in the Middle East in the wake of the now increasing evidence of success in Iraq. Those are important judgments for the American people to make."

Settled: The "Monster" that washed up on the beach last week in Montauk, NY was a viral marketing campaign.

At 8:08 on 08/08/08: Singer Clay Aiken is a proud father.

Log Cabin Republicans launch Republicans Against Prop. 8"...Scott Schmidt: "Marriage is a personal decision. It's not up to the long arm of the government of when, where and whom you should get married to."

Sting goes shirtless for the final show of The Police in New York City.

Radar on the unsung heroes of the child beauty pageant circuit: gay men.

Wingnut Randy Thomasson warns against horrors of 'Harvey Milk Day': "This will harm children as young [sic] kindergarten. Every May 22, AB 2567 will positively portray to children homosexual experimentation, homosexual 'marriages,' sex-change operations, and anything else that's 'in the closet.' Governor Schwarzenegger should say no to this very inappropriate bill, which has nothing to do with academic excellence."

Quentin Tarantino signs Brad Pitt for World War II action-drama Inglorious Bastards: "The 44-year-old actor will play a Southern rebel who assembles a team of eight prisoners-turned-soldiers to battle the Nazis."

Group compiling dynamic first-of-its-kind map of Earth's geology.

Connecticut man attempts murder to end gay rumors.

Diva in polka dots: Elton John makes splash in Saint-Tropez.

Fashion critic Mr. Blackwell hospitalized, emerges from coma.

Canadian border agents confiscate laptop over gay porn: "While the gay men watched, a CBSA agent sat in their truck and poked through the contents of the laptop. When he ran into locked material, he got the passwords from them. Rick and Shawn say that, in retrospect, it was a slapdash search. The laptop was combed, but not their cell phones, Shawn's Blackberry, or the loose burned CDs in the truck's glove compartment. The CBSA officers went into their office. Time ticked by as Rick and Shawn pondered what to do next. About an hour later, a CBSA officer came back with bad news. 'He came back and said 'We're going to have to confiscate the laptop.' I asked why. He said it had 'questionable material,'' says Rick."

BLOCKED: Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church also held up at Canadian border.

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Arsonist Targets Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

A fire broke out near a garage on the property of Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church early on Saturday morning. In footage posted online, the church's anti-gay picket signs can be seen stacked in the garage. Phelps released a video later that day blaming the fire on "fags" or "fag sympathizers". Then he blamed it on the judges, the "unfaithful devils in black robes" who refuse to enforce the law when crimes are committed against the WBC. And don't forget the "filthy, fag-riddled military."

Watch the clips of the fire and of Phelps, AFTER THE JUMP...

A 91-year-old neighbor of the church says she believes it was an elaborate attempt by the Church itself to scare her into selling her property, which she says they've been trying to do for years.

Said Leona McQueen: “They keep claiming that this property is theirs, and it is not theirs. They keep wanting to buy me, but I don't want to sell it. I don't know if whether they are trying to push me out. I don't know."

Said: Shirley Phelps-Roper said: "It's a ridiculous accusation. The fire was started by someone as we slept. Thankfully the lord our god keeps us in all our ways. The noise that they made the fire was so big and voluminous the popping and cracking woke people up."

Clips AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #271

THE OFFICE: As performed by Nathan Alden Robinson. Not a gay story, but a touching one.

ANDERSON COOPER: Late last week Anderson and Kelly Ripa did a bit of thigh dancing.

WBC: The Westboro Baptist Church gets Rickrolled in Orlando.

DANNY NORIEGA: 24 seconds of something.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Judge Places Lien, Bond Order on Westboro Baptist Church

A judge in Baltimore placed a lien on the properties owned by Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KAnsas and ordered his daughters to post bonds of $100,000 and $125,000 within 30 days while the church appeals a ruling in which it was ordered to pay a $5 million judgment (halved from a prior judgment of $10.9 million) to the father of a soldier slain in Iraq. Albert Snyder took the church to court after it picketed the funeral of his son. The church has been picketing the funerals of many soldiers, saying that their deaths are the result of God's anger at America's tolerance for homosexuals.

According to the Baltimore Sun, "On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett placed a lien on the properties of the church and its founder, Fred W. Phelps Sr., and ordered two of Phelps' daughters to post cash bonds of $125,000 and $100,000 within 30 days. The church property was appraised recently at $442,800. Bennett also placed a lien on a $232,900 office building owned by Phelps and his wife that the family law firm uses. The liens mean that no new mortgages can be taken out on the properties, and no money can be borrowed against the equity in them. Bennett noted that it would require 'extraordinary circumstances' for the church to avoid posting a portion of the judgment."

On March 30, approximately 300 people gathered near the church's property in Topeka in a 'Million Fag March' to picket Phelps and his church's intolerance.

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Million Fag March Targets Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church

Well, their numbers didn't reach a million, but approximately 400 people gathered Sunday in Topeka's Gage Park, near Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church for the 'Million Fag March' I posted about in February. The march was a symbolic demonstration against the WBC, who have for years targeted public gatherings, and more recently, military funerals, with their "God Hates Fags" message.

KSN reports: "People of all ages, races, and sexual orientation were present. The group of more than four hundred people marched throughout Gage Park, but were not allowed to cross any streets without a parade permit. The organizer of the march, Chris Love says he wants to show the Westboro Baptist Church there is an opposing voice equally as powerful. Other marchers feel the same. 'We don't agree with him talking about hatred and how God hates this god hates that,' marcher Angi Boetta said. 'We're just here to show him who we are and we're not going away no matter what you say or do.'...'All the haters and stuff they need to know that its not all about that, its about positivity and we're trying to create a positive influence towards gay people,' marcher Joshua Burch said. The Westboro Baptist Church is known for picketing the funerals of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, and says their deaths are God's way of disapproving of homosexuality in America."

In February, Love told Towleroad: "In reality, we know nothing is going to change the Phelps or the Westboro Church. We know they'll continue doing what they are doing. In fact, they'll probably love any press we get for them. The point here is that up until now, there hasn't been a highly-publicized event in which someone made an active protest against the WBC (in other words, where the protest wasn't simply a defensive reaction at the site of a WBC protest... mainly funerals). At most, we're hoping that the WBC hears the message and realizes that there is an opposing voice that is equally as powerful as their own (or at least, the powerful as they perceive it to be). At the least, we hope to hold an event that will bring both homesexual and heterosexual people together for a united cause for one day. And in Kansas, no less."

Westboro Baptist responded to the march on Saturday on its blog: "This little event is a new milestone for the fags and their enablers of this generation. They must do this - heretofore, they have hidden in the dens and rocks and scampered out under cover of darkness to work their mischief - vandalism, theft, etc. They have even had a small protest here and there - just a couple. They NEED to do this - they MUST get their resolve stiffened and they MUST encourage this generation to see that this is a good path for them to take - it will certainly result in making the Word of God disappear from off the land and that means - MAKE US SHUT UP. So - hold onto your hat and stay tuned! We will shortly see the face of this event and what the Lord will do in response! The Lord is coming and america is DOOMED!! Things are getting into place and the very earth is preparing for that awesome and fiery event!! The dummies call it global warming!"

View local news coverage, AFTER THE JUMP...

Million Fag March [official site]
CJVideo: Million Fag March - VIDEO [topeka capital-journal]
March For Love Targets Westboro Baptist Church [myfoxkc]
Hundreds protest Fred Phelps and his church [ksn]
Marching in Protest [27 news]
Hundreds protest peacefully against Westboro Baptist Church [ktka]

Clips via Good As You.

Previously
'Million Fag March' to Target Westboro Baptist Church [tr]

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'Million Fag March' to Target Westboro Baptist Church

Kansas City area residents Chris Love, a 28-year-old computer programmer, and college student Bethany Rowell are fed up with Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church picketing anti-gay hate around the nation. So fed up that they've begun organizing a "Million Fag March" (to use a term dear to the Phelps clan) in hope of spreading a message that intolerance is unacceptable.

They plan to march on the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka this March 30.

I asked Love why he was organizing an event that might only serve to promote the church's message.

Said Love: "In reality, we know nothing is going to change the Phelps or the Westboro Church. We know they'll continue doing what they are doing. In fact, they'll probably love any press we get for them. The point here is that up until now, there hasn't been a highly-publicized event in which someone made an active protest against the WBC (in other words, where the protest wasn't simply a defensive reaction at the site of a WBC protest... mainly funerals). At most, we're hoping that the WBC hears the message and realizes that there is an opposing voice that is equally as powerful as their own (or at least, the powerful as they perceive it to be). At the least, we hope to hold an event that will bring both homesexual and heterosexual people together for a united cause for one day. And in Kansas, no less."

Love emphasizes that this isn't a "gay-only" event and he hopes plenty of heterosexual people will join on. When I spoke to Love he had roughly a couple hundred people signed up to attend the march. They're hoping to improve the attendance via word-of-mouth and the internet.

The group has a Facebook page and a MySpace page, and also its own website, for more information.

Million Fag March [official site]

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Reno, Nevada Stopped from Receiving Word that God Hates Them

The Westboro Baptist Church made a trip to Reno, Nevada to picket a soldier's funeral on January 26th but were effectively blocked by a group of counter-demonstrators. Watch the tensions rise as they are surrounded.

Good As You notes that Westboro is using this "news video" to show that police acted inappropropriately toward them. It may be that the "news video" itself is a piece of Westboro-created propaganda, since no one can seem to find a news reporter by the name of Frank Douglas in the Reno area.

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Judge Halves Damages In Westboro Baptist Church Soldier Case

The $10.9 million Westboro Baptist Church was ordered to pay to the father of a soldier slain in Iraq was halved by a judge today:

"In a 52-page decision, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett upheld a jury's verdict awarding the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder multimillion-dollar damages for enduring emotional distress and having his privacy invaded by Westboro members waving anti-gay signs at the Marine's funeral in March 2006. 'There was also more than sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict on defendants' liability,' Bennett wrote. 'There was more than sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict that defendants' conduct before, during and after the funeral of Matthew Snyder was outrageous, designed to inflict emotional distress upon plaintiff and that the intrusion upon the seclusion of plaintiff and his family was highly offensive to a reasonable person.' But the judge more than halved the total $10.9 million award to $5 million. He upheld the jury's compensatory damage award of $2.9 million but reduced the total punitive damages from $8 million to $2.1 million. An appeal by Westboro to overturn the verdict is still pending."

Albert Snyder's case was the first brought against the church for their protests at military funerals. Westboro Baptist claims that U.S. military deaths are God's punishment for a nation that tolerates homosexuals.

Previously
Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case [tr]
Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment [tr]
Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral [tr]

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Dan Abrams Calls Out Gay-Related Heath Ledger Hate Speech

Thank you, Dan Abrams.

The MSNBC host last night called attention to some of the anti-gay hate speech that has arisen from Heath Ledger's death and his association with Brokeback Mountain, including (though he won't mention them) the Fred Phelps clan, John Gibson, and various bloggers and commenters on message boards.

Abrams: "This is insanity. Yes I thought it was going to happen to some degree. But the notion that there are going to be some people there picketing at his funeral. I mean this is disgusting beyond what I even expected, and I think it's going to continue to some degree..."

He's right, it's disgusting.

Related...
FOX Radio Host Mocks Heath Ledger's Death, Brokeback Mountain [tr]
Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral [tr]

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Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church and his band of haters plan to picket the funeral of actor Heath Ledger, because of his involvement in Brokeback Mountain.

In a news release, the church wrote: "Yes. WBC will picket this pervert's funeral, in religious protest and warning: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Gal. 6:7. Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word; to wit: God Hates Fags! & Fag Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as 'Brokeback Mountain' - and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it. Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."

The Kansas-based ministry was recently ordered to pay $11 million to the father of a slain U.S. soldier for picketing at the funeral of his son. Westboro Baptist claims that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's wrath against a nation that tolerates homosexuality.

Previously
Court Unseals Financial Records of Westboro Baptist Church [tr]
Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment [tr]
Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case [tr]

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News: Mr. Blackwell, Iran, Jesse Metcalfe, Wii, Dykes on Bikes

Iran claims video of aggressive action toward American ships is U.S. fabrication: "The US has released grainy footage, apparently showing small boats speeding near the American warships. In an audio recording, an Iranian radio operator appears to say 'I am coming at you; you will explode'. The Iranian parliamentary speaker has dismissed the affair as being part of a US propaganda campaign against Tehran."

NSA report confirms Vietnam "Gulf of Tonkin" episode never happened. (via americablog)

Mr. Blackwell releases annual worst-dressed list. The winner? "Forget the fashion spice - wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em." See who else made it.

Out writer Josh Kilmer-Purcell starts "Phags for Phelps" site after striking up email correspondence with Shirley Phelps-Roper: "I've long believed that the more chances America gets to see blatantly ugly homophobia in action, the better it is for the GLBT community. To quote Supreme Court Justice Brandeis: 'Sunshine is the best disinfectant.' Half humorously, half seriously, (as in everything I do) I suggested in my recent OUT column that gays and lesbians start a 'Phags 4 Phelps Dephense Phund.' Fred Phelps, if you don't know who he is, is the patriarch of a one-family-band of hate called the 'Westboro Baptist Church.'..I honestly think that the more America sees this ugly hatred, the more they shy away from it. So I suggested starting the "Phags 4 Phelps Dephense Phund" to keep them away from bankruptcy and out on the streets where they belong."

Parkinson's Disease linked to exposure to common solvent.

Madonna, Guy tour the slums of Mumbai.

Youths arrested for alleged anti-gay attack on December 5 on the Washington Metro say they targeted victim because he was drunk, not because of his sexuality.

Queen Elizabeth loves Wii bowling: "A Palace source told The People: 'When she saw William playing a game after lunch at Sandringham she thought the Nintendo looked tremendous fun and begged to join in. She played a simple ten-pin bowling game and by all accounts was a natural. It was hilarious. William was in fits of laughter. He was enormously impressed at having such a cool gran. And although she is 81 the Queen's hand-eye co-ordination was as good as somebody half her age.'"

Jesse Metcalfe's Hollywood hair-cut.

Anti-gay Pastor Ken Hutcherson has reportedly initiated the Microsoft stock-buying scheme I posted about in November: "It's unclear what effect, if any, the initiative could have on the stock price. It would be difficult to influence company direction -- just to gain a 1 percent stake in Microsoft, about 31 million people would each have to spend $104 to buy three shares. Microsoft has about 9.36 billion outstanding shares, and its largest holder is Chairman Bill Gates, with 858 million shares, or 9 percent of the total. Capital Research and Management Co. follows with nearly 557 million shares, or 6 percent."

Scientists float new global warming weapon: super-hairy soya plants.

Court rules that "Dykes on Bikes" can keep their name.

Genre takes on the cheekbones of Michael Lucas: "I am very proud that Genre chose me to be on their cover, as national consumer magazines—even if they are gay—tend to shy away from putting members of the adult community front and center."

Wonkette has a chat with former Gawker editor Choire Sicha about the New Hampshire primaries and which Romneys might be worth molesting: "Josh. Josh is the hottest thing since bacon was invented."

Kentucky gay rights groups thumb noses at one another: "The general advisory council of the Kentucky Equality Federation has approved a resolution not to be aligned with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance. Jordan Palmer, president of the federation, released a copy of his group's resolution noting the break. It said the group 'has received many reports from federation management and affiliated organizations about difficulties in working with current leadership of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and particularly its chief spokeswoman, Christina Gilgor.' It added, 'It is obvious that the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, through its current executive director, is alienating many members of the Kentucky Equality Federation and its affiliated organizations and thus becoming less of an effective force in lobbying and working for improvement of gay rights in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.'"

Simon Cowell sheds some of his moobs.

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Documentary on Westboro Baptist Church Airing on Showtime

K. Ryan Jones' film Fall from Grace about Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church is currently airing on Showtime and will be through the holiday season.

The AP writes: "Pastor Fred Phelps and his Topeka, Kan., congregation — most of them members of his immediate family — think any publicity is good publicity. They cooperated fully with Jones, who allows them plenty of time to explain their ideology. Some viewers might think they get just enough rope to hang themselves...Jones told The Associated Press that he worried it might be irresponsible to give Phelps yet another forum. But he believes the documentary will do more good than harm. 'This is not a problem that's going to go away simply by ignoring it,' Jones said. 'The goal of the film is to educate people about this group — the way they think, the way that they act and why they do these things, so we can be better equipped to handle it.' Jones gathered footage for 'Fall from Grace' between October 2005 and October 2006, spending time with church members and interviewing those affected by their protests, including Topeka's mayor and police chief and the widow of a young soldier. It's not a polished documentary. (Jones had scant financial resources — he estimates his budget at $10,000 — and he relies too heavily on footage of Westboro members protesting and montages of their picket signs.) But the film accomplishes Jones' goal of explaining the origins of Phelps' vitriol toward fallen soldiers."

Air dates are available on Showtime's website.

Fall from Grace [official site]

Recently
Westboro Baptist's Hot New Single: God Hates the World [tr]
Court Unseals Financial Records of Westboro Baptist Church [tr]
Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment [tr]

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Westboro Baptist's Hot New Single: God Hates the World

Enjoy, proud 'fag beasts'!

(via shakespeare's sister and petulant rumblings)

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Court Unseals Financial Records of Westboro Baptist Church

In response to the nearly $11 million awarded to the father of a slain U.S. Marine in a case brought against Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church and its heinous practice of picketing soldiers funerals, the U.S. District Court in Baltimore ordered the church's financial records unsealed.

The Baltimore Sun reports: "Eight pages of documents submitted in U.S. District Court in Baltimore by the church and three of its members - and made public at The Sun's request - reveal they have a net worth of almost $1 million but do not fully explain how the church is able to fund its picketing near military burials across the country. Church leaders, including its founder, Fred W. Phelps Sr. (pictured), contend the jury did not take into account their net worth when it imposed an award of more than 10 times their financial holdings. But lawyers for the Marine's father countered that church members lied in their financial statements submitted to the court. The church's balance sheets will now take center stage as the judge decides how much, if any, of the award Westboro should pay."

Westboro Baptist claims that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's wrath against a nation that tolerates homosexuality. According to the paper, "Church members filed papers late last week with U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett to have him strike down the $10.9 million award as unconstitutional."

And despite the judgment, the church says it will resume picketing.

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Westboro Baptist Church Thumbs Nose at $11 Million Judgment

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church will resume picketing the funerals of dead soldiers today despite the nearly $11 million judgment against them on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, a jury today awarded Albert Snyder $11 million in a case he brought against Rev. Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church after the church picketed the funeral of his son, who was slain in a vehicle accident in Anbar province in Iraq. It was the first case brought against the church for their protests at military funerals. Westboro Baptist claims that U.S. military deaths are God's punishment for a nation that tolerates homosexuals.

Said a press release from the church, which thanked God for the verdict: "We will continue to warn you of your impending doom as long as our God gives us breath. Not only did you fail to stop our preaching, but our message has gone to the entire world."

The Agence France-Presse reports: "The group's presence at the funerals of dozens of soldiers across the country has sparked a grassroots movement of bikers determined to drown out the jeers and taunts. While Westboro's congregation remains stable at around 70 to 100 people -- most of whom are the extended family of founder Fred Phelps -- the ranks of the Patriot Guard Riders has swelled to more than 117,000 in the past two years. If the Westboro protestors show up as planned at the funerals of Sergeant Scott Turner in Norton, Kansas and Staff Sergeant Larry Rougle in West Jordan, Utah on Friday, their signs will be masked by an honor guard of flag-waving bikers."

US anti-gay church to resume protests at funerals of soldiers [afp]

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Slain Soldier's Father Awarded $11 Million in Westboro Baptist Case

After deliberating for over a day, a jury today awarded Albert Snyder $11 million in a case he brought against Rev. Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church after the church picketed the funeral of his son, who was slain in a vehicle accident in Anbar province in Iraq. It's the first case brought against the church for their protests at military funerals. Westboro Baptist claims that U.S. military deaths are God's punishment for a nation that tolerates homosexuals.

The Baltimore Sun reports: "In June 2006, Snyder sued the tight-knit fundamentalist Christian church and three of its members individually. The father argued that Westboro's demonstrations exacerbated his pain and suffering in March 2006 while he mourned the death of his only son. Specifically, he charged that they violated his privacy, intentionally inflicted emotional harm and engaged in a conspiracy to carry out their activities. The jury decided in Snyder's favor on every count. The church and its members maintained that they did nothing wrong. They based their legal defense on the First Amendment, arguing that their protests were constitutionally protected. Their attorneys told jurors yesterday that Westboro members were expressing closely held religious beliefs about an immoral society, including the military, that has endorsed homosexuality."

$2.9 million is for compensatory damages, and was awarded early today. The jury came back later this afternoon and awarded an additional $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

Phelps (pictured above, today in Baltimore) has also recently renewed his push for a "Matthew Shepard in Hell" monument, picketed the funerals of victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, and picketed the Reverend Jerry Falwell's funeral, claiming he was a friend of gays.

Happy Halloween, you scary old zombie.

Father of slain Marine wins case against funeral protesters [baltimore sun]

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Fred Phelps and Fred Thompson: BFF?

Fred Phelps' gay-hating Westboro Baptist Church is getting up in the face of Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, claiming that Thompson once saw "eye-to-eye" with them and demanding to know if he agrees, as they claim he once did, with their views on homosexuality.

Westboro, which has made itself well-known over the years with their anti-gay picketing, says Thompson's view of homosexuals was "wonderful" when he visited them while working on a sexual harassment case in Topeka in the mid-80's.

Jeremy Hooper at Good As You received a letter from Phelps' daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper on the topic as well.

Thompson, via a spokesman, immediately distanced himself from the "radical fringe group, looking to draw attention to themselves" and issued this statement:

"Their behavior at the funerals of fallen soldiers is disgraceful and reprehensible. In no way do these people share Fred's values."

You may have missed...
Fred Thompson on Gay Marriage: "So Be It" [tr]
Fred Thompson: My Plan to Keep the Gays from Marriage [tr]

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News: Great White, Uganda, Matthew McConaughey, Singapore

Singapore bans gay picnic, saying politics not welcome in public parks: "It was never meant to be political, and this testifies to the paranoia of the government. They automatically assume that anything gay is a political challenge to them. It speaks volumes about the political climate in Singapore."

Beckham pays a visit to the Yankees and Blue Jays' clubhouses to see what American sports are all about.

British Great White Shark photo exposed as a fake: "The man who took the picture, which was featured prominently in the Sun, admitted he had snapped the creature during a fishing trip in South Africa rather than off Newquay, northern Cornwall. 'I took the picture while I was on a fishing trip in Cape Town and just sent it in as a joke,' Kevin Keeble told the Newquay Voice newspaper. 'I didn't expect anyone to take be daft enough to take it seriously.'"

Five continents to see lunar eclipse on August 28th: "The event begins 54 minutes past midnight PDT (0754 UT) on August 28th when the Moon enters Earth's shadow. At first, there's little change. The outskirts of Earth's shadow are as pale as the Moon itself; an onlooker might not even realize anything is happening. But as the Moon penetrates deeper, a startling metamorphosis occurs. Around 2:52 am PDT (0952 UT), the color of the Moon changes from moondust-gray to sunset-red. This is totality, and it lasts for 90 minutes."

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church to picket funerals of Minneapolis bridge collapse victims.

A look at Matthew McConaughey's pocket rocket?

Retired bishop who supported gay rights causes reaction after he is identified attending Catholic mass in Uganda: "The Rt. Rev. John Baptist Kaggwa mentioned Ssenyonjo among the important guests in the congregation, drawing mixed reactions from Catholics who also condemn homosexuality. One of the celebrants said Ssenyonjo should not have been recognised during the mass because the public could think that the Catholic Church sympathises with gay activists."

What's next for Apple TV?

Broward County Commission blasts Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle over homophobic comments, but stops short of censure: "Using words such as bigoted and despicable, commissioners united in chastising Naugle, then signed letters that will be sent to gay news Web sites and convention planners reaffirming their commitment to diversity. The symbolic reproach individually by the nine commissioners, though, stops shy of them formally voting to censure him, which is what some gay political activists want. The county's tourism czar, Nicki Grossman, said Tuesday's actions were vital in light of the growing national tumult over Naugle's views. She and other tourism executives had hoped the area's long-standing reputation as a gay-friendly destination would avert any negative effect."

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Fred Phelps Renews Push for "Matthew Shepard in Hell" Monument

On Monday morning, Casper, Wyoming dedicated a "historic plaza" containing monuments "honoring the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta, the 13th-century law edict that restricted the powers of England's monarchs."

It also contains a monument to the Ten Commandments, which was put into storage in 2003 after the Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened a lawsuit over a religious monument on public property.

The Jackson Hole Star Tribune reports: "Adding to the controversy, the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., offered to place a monument anywhere on city property declaring that slain gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard is in hell. The council rejected Phelps' offer and looked at the historic plaza idea after Grand Junction, Colo., won a lawsuit against the American Civil Liberties Union. That ruling found that a Ten Commandments monument could be allowed if it were displayed in a context that played up its historical merit, instead of its religious attributes, so that a reasonable person would not think the government was endorsing a particular religion."

Now, after four years, the "historic plaza" idea has come to fruition: "A marker at the entrance to the plaza refers to all six monuments as essential elements in the foundation of law in this country. 'All great ideas evolve, and these principles are no exception,' the marker states. Most of the documents refer to God, but only the Ten Commandments are considered to be the word of God. A marker next to the Decalogue refers to them as a 'starting point of law.'"

But, like a bad stench, Phelps just doesn't go away.

According to the Casper Star Tribune, he's back pushing for the Matthew Shepard monument again: "Phelps said he would be willing to make his monument resemble the six others and would include a picture of Shepard and the engraving: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, at age 21, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22." Mayor Kate Sarosy said she had not received Phelps' letter Monday evening and said she would speak with the city attorney and the other council members. 'Mr. Phelps' message is full of hate and not in the spirit of the monument plaza,' Sarosy said."

City dedicates historic plaza [jackson hole star tribune]
Phelps wants anti-gay monument [casper star tribune]

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Foiled Falwell Bomber was Targeting Westboro Baptist Protestors

Mark David Uhl, a Liberty University student, was arrested after a family member's tip led authorities to homemade bombs in the trunk of his car. Uhl had apparently told the family member that he planned to target protestors from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church who were planning a demonstration at Reverend Jerry Falwell's funeral. The soda can-sized bombs were described by police as "sort of like napalm".

The Associated Press reports: "The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church sent about a dozen members to protest across the street from the funeral, claiming Falwell was a friend to gays. The group also has picketed soldiers' burials, claiming the deaths are God's punishment for a nation that supports homosexuality. Falwell frequently spoke against homosexuality, and gay rights advocates have consistently opposed him. A group of Liberty University students staged a counterprotest; it wasn't clear whether Uhl was involved.

...Jesse Benson, 19, of Zanesville, Ohio, said he lived with Uhl this year and that both shared the view that the Westboro group is a 'sorry, disgraceful bunch of people,' but that he was certain Uhl would never have done anything to harm them. 'He had a very, very deep respect for Jerry Falwell, as do I,' Benson said in a telephone interview. 'Jerry Falwell would not have approved him harming anybody for any reason. Out of respect for Jerry Falwell, he never would have done anything.'"

Just one more incident that goes to show how full this country is of really screwed-up, religious people.

The Associated Press reports that 33,000 people viewed Falwell's body over a period of four days.

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Westboro Baptist to Picket Jerry Falwell Funeral

The haters can't even stand each other.

Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church has announced plans to picket the funeral of Reverend Jerry Falwell. They say: "WBC will preach at the memorial service of the corpulent false prophet Jerry Falwell, who spent his entire life prophesying lies and false doctrines like 'God loves everyone'. There is little doubt that Falwell split Hell wide open the instant he died. The evidence is compelling, overwhelming, and irrefragable."

According to their lovely website, GodHatesAmerica.com,

"1. Falwell was a true Calvinistic Baptist when he was a young preacher in Springfield, Missouri, and sold his soul to Free-Willism (Arminianism) for lucre.

2. Falwell bitterly and viciously attacked WBC because of WBC's faithful Bible preaching -- thereby committing the unpardonable sin -- otherwise known as the sin against the Holy Ghost.

3. Falwell warmly praised Christ-rejecting Jews, pedophile-condoning Catholics, money-grubbing compromisers, practicing fags like Mel White, and backsliders like Billy Graham and Robert Schuler, etc. All for lucre -- making him guilty of their sins."

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Virginia Tech Funerals to be Target of Westboro Baptist Picket

Never missing the opportunity to take advantage of a tragedy, Fred Phelps and his gang of haters at Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket the funerals of those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings, according to a message on their website (which I haven't linked on purpose):

"WBC will preach at the funerals of the Virginia Tech students killed on campus during a shooting rampage April 16, 2007. You describe this as monumental horror, but you know nothing of horror -- yet. Your bloody tyrant Bush says he is 'horrified' by it all. You know nothing of horror -- yet. Your true horror is coming. 'They shall also gird themselves with sackloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads' (Eze. 7:18).

Why did this happen, you ask? It's simple. Your military chose to shoot at the servants of God today, and all they got for their effort was terror. Then, the LORD your God sent a crazed madman to shoot at your children. Was God asleep while this took place? Was He on vacation? Of course not. He willed this to happen to punish you for assailing His servants."

No doubt they'll blame the shootings on the gays as well. But as many people have noted, the more these nuts trot themselves out, the more a symbol of the need for tolerance they become.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #109 Most Hated Family in America Edition

A documentary on the Fred Phelps clan, The Most Hated Family in America, aired over the weekend on the BBC. To supplement it, on Friday the BBC published an interview with journalist Louis Theroux, who tried to get to the bottom of it all:

"What we're trying to do in the documentary is look at an activity that is so antisocial, so strange, so futile and at its worst, so cruel, and we're saying 'Why? Why do that?', especially when you seem to be, for the most part, kind and sensitive people. We're exploring what is cruelty, trying to explain how something that really does very often just amount to cruelty could be perpetuated and passed down in a family. Why would nice people do such horrible things?"

Parts 1-4:

Parts 5-7 after the jump...

The Most Hated Family in America [bbc]

Westboro Baptists Continue To Rock The House [queerty]
Video: 'The Sur-Real World' [good as you]

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Aussie Reporter Flirts with the Phelps Clan

Via Gayer Mechanic Wales comes this priceless clip of an Australian Reporter hitting on Fred Phelps, Jr. and conversing with various members of the Westboro Baptist Church.

The real fun starts when other members of the clan get involved, especially the red-haired chick who screeches, "You're a pervert, you're a fag ass pervert." Didn't her mother tell her it's not polite to point?

And did I hear incorrectly, or did she also say, "Snap off!"

Video: Ausralian Reporter Hits on Fred Phelps, Jr. [gayer mechanic wales]

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