Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper Banned from Entering UK

Westboro Baptist Church leaders Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper had planned a trip to the UK to picket a production of The Laramie Project set to take place on Friday in Basingstoke, Hampshire. But they aren't being allowed into the country:

"The pair will now be stopped by immigration officials if they arrive and placed straight on a flight back to the US. The ban comes after Dutch MP Geert Wilders was barred from the UK last week for his extremist views on Islam. A UK Border Agency spokesman said: 'The Home Secretary has excluded both Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper from the UK. Both these individuals have engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities. The Government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms. We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country. That was the driving force behind the tighter rules on exclusion for unacceptable behaviour that the Home Secretary announced on 28th October last year. The exclusions policy is targeted at all those who seek to stir up tension and provoke others to violence regardless of their origins and beliefs." 

The church has other upcoming hateful pickets to attend to however. They plan to picket a memorial service for the pilot of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York, as well as the Academy Awards.

Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Face the Future at KS High School

Take a good look at the photo above, because it's the future.

When Fred Phelps and his clan showed up at Shawnee Mission High School in Prairie Village, Kansas they were met by hundreds of students and adults who faced off against them:

"Their message didn’t sit well with many students at the high school where, according to student Jake Davidson, there is a Gay and Straight Alliance at the school and students elected a homecoming king in 2007 who was openly gay. 'Everyone is equal whether you’re gay or straight,' said Davidson, a 16-year-old junior from Leawood and an organizer of the student protest. 'It’s really cool that everyone wants to be involved and take a stand against this. It doesn’t surprise me that everyone wants to help out.' He said word of the counterprotest ran through the school like wildfire. 'It’s pretty much all anyone has been talking about this week,' he said. Karl Krawitz, East principal, said the administration worked with Prairie Village police to make sure the dismissal of school went smoothly, and the demonstration did not impede traffic or the dismissal process."

Happy Holidays from America's Prominent Anti-Gay Hate Groups

The Alliance Defense Fund and Westboro Baptist Church wish you a very happy holiday.

Watch their messages of peace and good will, AFTER THE JUMP...

Westboro Baptist Wants Santa-Hating Sign in Washington Capitol

You may have heard about the atheist sign that was granted a permit, displayed, and then stolen from the Washington state capitol building earlier this year, for which Governor Christine Gregoire has been criticized.

MSNBC: A Gregoire spokesman said the office at one point was getting about 200 calls an hour, as well as e-mails, about the display. The governor and state attorney general's office then issued this statement: 'The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution's First Amendment, once government admits one religious display or viewpoint onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays, including the viewpoints of nonbelievers.' With a nod to the winter solstice in late December, the placard reads, in part: 'There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.' The foundation's co-president, Dan Barker, said it was important for atheists to offer their viewpoint alongside the overtly religious Nativity scene and a Christmas-style holiday tree at the Capitol Rotunda."

Now, the gay-hating, America-hating, everyone-hating Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas wants in on the action:

"The sign claims that 'God's hate' is to blame for the weak economy, that Santa is a child molester, and that the deaths of U.S. troops are somehow the fault of Santa."

For some reason, gays are left out of this one, although given their twisted logic, to the Phelps clan Santa is likely gay.

Said Steve Valandra, a spokesman for Washington's Department of General Administration, when e-mailed the text: "Holy cow. I guess we'll consider it like all the other requests."

I've posted a portion of the WBC's sign above. You can see the rest, AFTER THE JUMP...

God Hates Signs

(via flickr user burstein)

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...