Phelps to Protest Ledger's Funeral  | News | Advocate.com

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January 25, 2008
Phelps to Protest Ledger's Funeral

The Westboro Baptist Church, led by extremist Fred Phelps, is planning on picketing the funeral of Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger.

The church, which is well known for demonstrating outside the funerals of fallen military personnel and AIDS victims, announced its plans in a press release citing Leviticus 18:22, which denounces homosexuality. While Ledger was not gay, he took on the role of Ennis Del Mar, a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.

“God hates the sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as Brokeback Mountain," the press release said, "and He hates all persons having anything to do whatsoever with it."

“You cannot live in defiance of God,” said Westboro spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper, according to Fox News. “He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it’s OK to be gay.”

The Topeka, Kan.–based church will limit its picketing of the 28-year-old Australia-born actor's funeral to the United States. Members will not travel to Australia to picket services there.

Australian Baptist Church leaders have sent out statements to the media, distancing themselves from the U.S. congregation.

"The intention of Ms. Shirley Phelps-Roper and other Westboro Baptist Church members to picket the memorial services was completely inappropriate, and their statements were increasingly extreme and counterproductive," the Reverend Dr. Ross Clifford said, according to the Courier-Mail newspaper in Australia.

The Westboro Baptist Church, which maintains the websites GodHatesFags.com and GodHatesAmerica.com, plans to also demonstrate outside the upcoming 80th annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. (The Advocate)

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