Westboro Baptist Church: Difference between revisions

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In February 2009, UK news sources[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-138 [138]] discovered that WBC had announced on their website that they intended to picket a youth production of ''The Laramie Project'' to be held at Central Studio, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary%27s_College Queen Mary's College] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke Basingstoke] on February 20, 2009. This would have been their first ever picket in the UK.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-139 [139]]

On the lead-up to the picket, a number of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_Parliament MPs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby_group lobby groups] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT LGBT] groups appealed to the UK's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Secretary Home Secretary], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqui_Smith Jacqui Smith],[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-140 [140]] requesting these individuals be blocked from entering the UK,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-141 [141]] on the basis that WBC would be inciting hatred towards LGBT people. On February 18, 2009, two days before the intended picket date, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Office Home Office] announced ~~that~~ [http://en.~~wikipedia~~.~~org~~/wiki/~~Fred_Phelps_Sr.~~ Fred Phelps] ~~and~~ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Phelps-Roper Shirley Phelps-Roper] would be specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individuals_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom excluded from entering the UK] for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities", and that "other church members could also be flagged and stopped if they tried to enter Britain".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-142 [142]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-143 [143]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-144 [144]]

On the lead-up to the picket, a number of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_Parliament MPs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby_group lobby groups] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT LGBT] groups appealed to the UK's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Secretary Home Secretary], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqui_Smith Jacqui Smith],[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-140 [140]] requesting these individuals be blocked from entering the UK,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-141 [141]] on the basis that WBC would be inciting hatred towards LGBT people. On February 18, 2009, two days before the intended picket date, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Office Home Office] announced that [http://real-life-villains.wikia.com/wiki/Fred_Phelps Fred Phelps] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Phelps-Roper Shirley Phelps-Roper] would be specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individuals_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom excluded from entering the UK] for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities", and that "other church members could also be flagged and stopped if they tried to enter Britain".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-142 [142]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-143 [143]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-144 [144]]

An alliance of six UK religious groups (the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_Union_of_Great_Britain Baptist Union of Great Britain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Alliance Evangelical Alliance] UK, Faithworks, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Church_of_Great_Britain Methodist Church of Great Britain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Reformed_Church United Reformed Church] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_Foreign_Bible_Society Bible Society]-funded thinktank [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theos_%28think_tank%29 Theos]) made a joint statement on February 19, 2009 in support of the government's decision and condemning the activities of the Westboro Baptist Church saying, "We do not share [Westboro's] hatred of lesbian and gay people. We believe that God loves all, irrespective of sexual orientation, and we unreservedly stand against their message of hate toward those communities."[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-145 [145]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-146 [146]]

===Counter protests===

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter_protest Counter protests] are often organized to be held at sites that Westboro Baptist pickets.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-WEAU-33 [33]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-147 [147]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-148 [148]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-149 [149]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-150 [150]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-151 [151]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-KIRO-152 [152]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-153 [153]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-154 [154]] In some cases counter protesters have lined up and turned their backs on the Westboro Baptist pickets.

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 In February 2009, UK news sources<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-138">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-138 [138]]</sup> discovered that WBC had announced on their website that they intended to picket a youth production of ''The Laramie Project'' to be held at Central Studio, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary%27s_College Queen Mary's College] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke Basingstoke] on February 20, 2009. This would have been their first ever picket in the UK.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-139">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-139 [139]]</sup>
-On the lead-up to the picket, a number of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_Parliament MPs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby_group lobby groups] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT LGBT] groups appealed to the UK's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Secretary Home Secretary], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqui_Smith Jacqui Smith],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-140">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-140 [140]]</sup> requesting these individuals be blocked from entering the UK,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-141">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-141 [141]]</sup> on the basis that WBC would be inciting hatred towards LGBT people. On February 18, 2009, two days before the intended picket date, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Office Home Office] announced that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps_Sr. Fred Phelps] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Phelps-Roper Shirley Phelps-Roper] would be specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individuals_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom excluded from entering the UK] for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities", and that "other church members could also be flagged and stopped if they tried to enter Britain".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-142">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-142 [142]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-143">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-143 [143]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-144">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-144 [144]]</sup>
+On the lead-up to the picket, a number of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_Parliament MPs], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby_group lobby groups] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT LGBT] groups appealed to the UK's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Secretary Home Secretary], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqui_Smith Jacqui Smith],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-140">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-140 [140]]</sup> requesting these individuals be blocked from entering the UK,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-141">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-141 [141]]</sup> on the basis that WBC would be inciting hatred towards LGBT people. On February 18, 2009, two days before the intended picket date, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Office Home Office] announced that [http://real-life-villains.wikia.com/wiki/Fred_Phelps Fred Phelps] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Phelps-Roper Shirley Phelps-Roper] would be specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individuals_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom excluded from entering the UK] for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities", and that "other church members could also be flagged and stopped if they tried to enter Britain".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-142">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-142 [142]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-143">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-143 [143]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-144">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-144 [144]]</sup>
 An alliance of six UK religious groups (the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_Union_of_Great_Britain Baptist Union of Great Britain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Alliance Evangelical Alliance] UK, Faithworks, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Church_of_Great_Britain Methodist Church of Great Britain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Reformed_Church United Reformed Church] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_Foreign_Bible_Society Bible Society]-funded thinktank [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theos_%28think_tank%29 Theos]) made a joint statement on February 19, 2009 in support of the government's decision and condemning the activities of the Westboro Baptist Church saying, "We do not share [Westboro's] hatred of lesbian and gay people. We believe that God loves all, irrespective of sexual orientation, and we unreservedly stand against their message of hate toward those communities."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-145">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-145 [145]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-146">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-146 [146]]</sup>
 ===Counter protests===
 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter_protest Counter protests] are often organized to be held at sites that Westboro Baptist pickets.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-WEAU_33-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-WEAU-33 [33]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-147">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-147 [147]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-148">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-148 [148]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-149">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-149 [149]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-150">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-150 [150]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-151">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-151 [151]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-KIRO_152-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-KIRO-152 [152]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-153">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-153 [153]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-154">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#cite_note-154 [154]]</sup> In some cases counter protesters have lined up and turned their backs on the Westboro Baptist pickets.