Gaga Goes On But Without Phelps Protest

The show will go on for Lady Gaga tonight at St. Louis's Fox Theatre, but a planned protest by Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church has been called off because of snow.

Because Westboro called off its protest, a scheduled counterprotest -- complete with kiss-in -- by St. Louis-based gay group Show Me No H8 has also been called off.

Westboro sent the following e-mail Thursday morning to St. Louis's Riverfront Times: "YES - it is canceled because of the lack of capacity to travel. YAY! Our God doeth all things well. He took that Parody and the words from his people and he dropped them ALL OVER THIS WORLD and then when it came time to make that trip, he shut up this country so they could hold the picket alone and do the work for us. :) YAY!"

Westboro goes on to quote Scripture and suggest that God's punishment will be in the form of an empty house for Gaga.

Upon learning that the Westboro picketers would be staying home, No H8 organizer Ed Reggi and Stephen Houldsworth of the Facebook group Phelps Protests Gaga; LGBT Folks Protest Phelp" wrote this to members:

"Well, over 300 of you said you would be out kissing with us tonight. And I want to thank each and everyone who was willing to show up and show love. However, Phelps is not coming. (Thanks to Ed Reggi for the info on Phelps being snowed-in in KC.) The Pro-Lady Gaga folks might still rally, but the point of the Kiss-in was to get those pics of loving LGBT couples in front of the Phelps family (and to drive the Phelps family crazy). Since they aren't coming, I am canceling the Kiss-in. Stay home, stay warm, and keep kissing the people you love."

The Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Church is right in the middle of the severe cold snap currently sweeping through the Midwest. Temperatures on Thursday were expected to drop below zero in Kansas.