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18 Apr 2011 23:07

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U.S.: Artist paints anti-gay church leader in compromising position with Satan

  • Well, this is awesome: The delightful Westboro Baptist Church, best known for protesting the funerals of soldiers and screaming “God Hates Fags” at anyone who will listen, just got a taste of its own medicine. The man pictured above is New York artist Scott LoBaido. LoBaido traveled to the church’s headquarters in Topeka, Kansas last weekend, set up shop across the street, and proceded to paint the above work of art. In case you can’t tell, it’s an image of WBC founder Fred Phelps, wearing nothing but a pair of purple underwear, lovingly embracing the Devil, as his daughter (the equally-charming Shirley Phelps-Roper) gazes on in anticipation. The police tried to stop LoBaido, but as his creation clearly qualifies as art, the anti-picketing laws afforded to the church didn’t apply. LoBaido is a traveling artist who paints patriotic imagery around the United States. He blasted Lady Gaga while making this masterpiece (which he plans to auction off for charity on eBay), earning him a police citation for violating anti-noise laws. We think it was well-worth it. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Mar 2011 15:36

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U.S.: How does the Westboro Baptist Church stay tax-exempt?

  • what Despite their status as being particularly offensive and their strong advocacy of various political issues, the Westboro Baptist Church has managed to stay tax-exempt, despite their 501(c)(3)/nonprofit status preventing certain kinds of advocacy.
  • whyThey know the law really well – note that the church never advocates specifically against legislation, but against groups and people it doesn’t like. So while they may not fight Prop 8’s repeal, the Phelps family advocates against homosexuality in general. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Mar 2011 10:31

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U.S.: Free speech wins: Supreme Court favors Westboro in funeral case

  • 8-1 the vote in favor of Westboro’s free speech rights source
  • » Sad, not surprising, but understandable: The fact of the matter is, while we would’ve loved to see Westboro blocked from picketing funerals as a political message, the First Amendment is pretty set in stone and, as much as we dislike the ramifications of this decision, it certainly was the right one. (By the way, the lone dissenter? Samuel Alito.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jan 2011 13:05

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Culture: Fred Phelps will give funerals a break, protest a movie

  • the man Kevin Smith, director and tireless New Jersey promoter, who’s taking his latest work to the Sundance Film Festival.
  • the film “Red State,” about three high-schoolers in middle America who run afoul of a fundamentalist priest with murderous intent.
  • the resultFred Phelps, real-life fundamentalist and head of the hateful Westboro Baptist Church, will picket Sundance. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jan 2011 20:16

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U.S.: Arizona legislature to Westboro: Don’t picket a kid’s funeral. Ugh.

  • 29-0 the number of votes the bill garnered in the state Senate
  • 58-0 the number of votes the bill garnered in the State House
  • duh Jan Brewer is probably going to sign this emergency bill source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Oct 2010 22:49

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U.S.: The Supreme Court has a field day with the Westboro Baptist Church

  • This is a case about exploiting a private family’s grief.The question is: Why should the First Amendment tolerate exploiting this Marine’s family when you have so many other forums for getting across your message?
  • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg • Asking the best question of the day to Westboro Baptist Church lawyer (and member) Margie J. Phelps, who represented the church in their case against the family of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, whose funeral they protested way back in 2006. While wanting to favor free speech as much as possible, the justices clearly struggled with this case, with many trying to find a narrow path that allowed them to limit the private-person-damaging hate speech of a group like Westboro while not affecting other kinds of speech. Fortunately, Phelps made it easy on them, suggesting that wounded soldiers shouldn’t have a cause of action if they’re being protested against by a group similar to hers. At that point, the justices jumped on her. It’ll still be a number of months before we know how this one plays out, guys.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2010 11:58

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U.S.: Protip to Fred Phelps anti-protesters: Two wrongs don’t make right

  • bad A bunch of Westboro Baptist Church protesters were at a marine’s funeral in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday.
  • worse The protesters were reportedly pepper-sprayed by some dude in a Ford F-150. That dude got arrested. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Mar 2010 12:27

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Politics: Anti-Fred Phelps people: This guy created your template

  • When the Westboro Baptist Church comes to town, follow this template. A few weeks ago, University of Illinois-Chicago student Jason Connell decided to take on the homophobic Kansas church diplomatically. Across the street from a WBC protest, he set up a spot to donate money to organizations the church opposes in the church’s name. The effect? It completely neuters their power. Clever. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Mar 2010 23:47

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U.S.: The Supreme Court takes on Fred Phelps’ hate-causing cronies

  • cause Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church,
    which has made it a mission of
    theirs to protest soldiers’ funerals,
    was sued in 2006 after they
    protested the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder.
  • issues The corresponding issues of
    free expression and right to dissent meet with the conflicting issue of
    privacy in this case, which could
    set a pretty huge precedent for
    protesters. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Dec 2009 23:20

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Music: #ladygaygay: Lady Gaga fans strike back against a Fred Phelps protest

  • We decided to rebel against the shocking and sickening news of what (&^% Fred Phelps proposed to do. So all of us ‘Monsters’ united to show mass support to Lady Gaga and gay rights.
  • A report from “Gaganews” • Describing why they led a protest against Fred Phelps on Twitter, which both Lady Gaga herself and Perez hilton promoted by tweeting the official #LadyGayGay hashtag. Phelps, the “God Hates Fags” guy, plans to protest Gaga’s show next month in Missouri – a few months after she made herself a target by making an important speech at the National Equality March. Nothing like putting Fred Phelps, an icon of hate and vitriol, in his place. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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