Church Vows to Continue Protests at Funerals
A small church known for its anti-gay protests said it would still picket on the day of soldiers’ funerals but wouldn’t violate new state laws that limit when and where such demonstrations take place.
“We obey the law,” said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a lawyer and member of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, a fundamentalist congregation headed by her father, the Rev. Fred Phelps.
Church members have outraged mourners across the nation by showing up at soldiers’ funerals with signs that read “God Hates Fags” or “God Made IEDs,” a reference to roadside bombs.
Church members contend that soldiers are being killed for defending a nation in which gays and lesbians are accepted.
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