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Westboro Baptist Church vs. transgender people

The Westboro Baptist Church is a virulently anti-LGBTQ American religious group based in Topeka, Kansas. WBC is known for its extreme public protest tactics and high-profile legal battles over Constitutionally protected speech. In addition to their protests against LGBTQ people, Westboro also opposes atheists, Jews, Muslims, and other Christian denominations.

Westboro believes “transgender rebellion is a sin against God.”

Background

Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) was founded in 1955 in Topeka, Kansas, by pastor Fred Phelps, Sr. During its first 30 years, it operated much like a typical church.

In 1991, WBC began the “Great Gage Park Decency Drive,” staging public demonstrations in Gage Park in Topeka. WBC protested what they described as “immoral” behavior they claimed occurred in the park. Phelps had reportedly complained to city officials about gay men cruising the park for sex and began protests after Phelps’ grandchild was reportedly solicited in the park.

According to a New Yorker article: “Throughout the nineties, Westboro members crisscrossed the country, protesting the funerals of AIDS victims and gay-pride parades. They picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, the gay man whose murder, in what was widely believed to be a hate crime, became a rallying cry for gay-rights activists. They picketed high schools, concerts, conferences, and film festivals, no matter how tenuous the connection to homosexuality or other sins.”

In 2012, several family members left WBC, including Megan Phelps-Roper, who hosted the anti-trans podcast The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling for The Free Press in 2023.

Anti-trans activism

In 1999, WBC launched the website godhatesfags.com. They became notorious in the 1990s for carrying signs with anti-gay slogans, including

  • “GOD HATES FAGS”
  • “NO FAGS IN HEAVEN”
  • “THANK GOD FOR AIDS”
  • “FAGS BURN IN HELL”
  • “GOD H8S TRANNIES”
  • [transgender flag background] “PARENTS ARE TO BLAME: MOURN, REPENT”
  • [transgender flag background] “GO MADE YOU MALE OR FEMALE – BE CONTENT & OBEY HIM”

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, WBC began claiming the attack was divine punishment for America’s sins. In 2005, WBC began protesting funerals of U.S. military service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Snyder v. Phelps that WBC’s funeral protests were protected under the First Amendment.

After Fred Phelps died in 2014, Phelps’ children Shirley Phelps-Roper and Timothy Phelps led WBC protests, but WBC’s influence slowly waned.

Anti-trans activism

In 1999, WBC launched the website godhatesfags.com. On their page answering frequently asked questions, WBC states:

“At the beginning, God made them male and female. If He made you a male, then you are a male. If He made you a female, then you are a female. Transgender rebellion is a sin against God.

As far as intersex people, please see this blog post.”

In a 2015 transcript of a sermon, WBC stated:

“Despite what all of the promoters of the latest transgender nonsense would have you believe, the Bible teaches that there are two genders, and there are different roles for those genders. (Note: God won’t take your chromosome away).”

In a 2019 announcement that they were protesting a middle school that was supporting a transgender student, WBC stated:

“It happened upon a day that 5th grade parents at Brookwood Elementary School were informed that a child would “transition” from being a boy to a girl. Further, the principal of the school put his wicked hand to meddle in what belongs to God Almighty. He told the parents that this “unique discussion requires grace from everyone involved”. Here is what God has to say respecting HIS grace; “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14) This wicked treachery against God called “transgender” is a lie. All you need to know is this: God made you male or female, be content and thankful. Your DNA and chromosomes will never change. Transgender rebellion is a subset of sodomites, and God hates fags. If your child comes forth with the folly of youth about his/her hatred of God in the way he was formed, your duty is to teach them the fear of the Lord, which is the very beginning of wisdom. You must do that job faithfully, giving no thought to consider if that child likes or dislikes the words, or, if that child will grow up and reject the words and reject you for teaching them the words. Do that job diligently as unto the Lord and the Lord that sees ALL will bless you for that. This life is a vapor and like the flower of the grass, it will be gone swiftly, and then you will appear before that God that you failed to obey, that very God that you refused to teach to your children. Woe unto you in that hour. Nobody asked you Mr. principal, to sear the conscience of those babes with the hot iron of hard rebellion against God, that have, for a very short while, been entrusted to you. Set your hearts to love and serve the God who created you, who has given you blessed words of life and health, if you would walk in them.”

In a 2022 transcript of a sermon attacking trans pediatrician Rachel Levine, trans swimmer Lia Thomas, and a number of trans-supportive public figures, WBC stated:

“My friends, Satan is gleefully having his way with this generation. […] Nowhere is that more evident than the current transgender blitzkrieg. The Lord God has warned this generation of this outcome for decades through the preachments of this little church, but they would have none of His reproofs. Having abandoned any outward standard of justice and righteousness, this generation is left with confusion of face, and continual pain. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) My friends, Satan carefully worked for generations to prepare the chess pieces for this hour, and He is now putting on a master class in hateful murderous destruction. The Lord has appointed it all as a punishment for a rebellious people. The majority of the people in this country see the great folly of this transgender juggernaut, but because they abandoned God in every facet of their lives, they are now left impotent to do anything effective to oppose it. In that vacuum of moral authority, children have indeed become their oppressors, and women rule over them. […] There are certainly some people that are objecting to this transgender nonsense, but you will rarely hear them speak of God and His authority as the Creator to determine gender.”

In a 2022 protest announcement in St. Mary’s Kansas, WBC stated:

“The city of St. Marys, Kansas is having conflict surrounding teaching children about transgender perversion. When one member of the St. Marys City Commission stated “transgenderism is not a truth” and “a man is a man, and a woman is a woman,” the sodomites came out of the woodwork to war. Public libraries in USA have been battlegrounds for the transgender movement in its effort to indoctrinate children with soul-damning sodomite lies. How many thousands of children have been subject to Drag Queen Story Hour? Lord willing, WBC will defend pure gospel truth in St. Marys and provoke all to read the Bible – and then read it and teach it to your children! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: Destroyer of Sodom!”

In a 2023 protest announcement at a local middle school, WBC stated:

The government-funded public schools of USA are grooming children to become sodomite trannies and to rabidly promote the sodomite tranny cause. Specifically, USD 204 publishes this fag propaganda in its schools: [image of a posted titled “Respect My Pronouns”]

“Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” (Matthew 19:4)

“Bonner Springs superintendent defends gender pronoun instruction poster in middle school,” explaining this propaganda is “instructional material” in compliance with school board policy. The NEA teaches this grotesque sin and publishes materials like “Schools in Transition” to promote soul-damning transgender sin in K-12 schools. BEWARE: they are coming for your kids!

“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;” (2 Peter 2:6)

Westboro Baptist Church has received correspondence from penitent, former transgender persons, lamenting how their lives were ruined by hateful encouragement to chase this sin. FOR SHAME! We stand up for them and insist that this physical and mental mutilation STOP – especially on impressionable children! Bible preaching must be presented to protest against this “transgender” insanity and sodomite abomination.

In a 2024 announcement, WBC stated:

“GOD’S CURSE IS HEAVY UPON THE LAND AND DELUSIONS ABOUND! AMERICAN SCHOOLS HAVE GONE FROM PUSHING THEIR CHILDREN TO TRANNY SIN TO PUTTING A DRAG QUEEN IN THE GRADE SCHOOL AS A PRINCIPAL.

Trannies are a sub-set of sodomites, and God still hates fags! You cannot change your chromosomes or DNA! Matt. 19:4 And [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,


Transgender is abomination before God! De 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Be content with what God gave you! Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 1 Tim. 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Be thankful for what you have/are! The Word of God instructs again and again that we must be thankful to God for all! E.g. Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

References

Staff report (March 1, 2019). Westboro Baptist Church: Legacy of Hate. ADL https://www.adl.org/resources/news/westboro-baptist-church-legacy-hate

DeFilippo, Dana (July 26, 2016). Assembling ‘Great Wall of Love’ as bulwark against bigotry. WHYY https://whyy.org/articles/assembling-great-wall-of-love-as-bulwark-against-bigotry-video/

Gowan, Annie (November 12, 1995). Holy Hell: Fred Phelps, clergyman, is on a crusade. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/11/12/holy-hell/ead42db2-4d67-4f9e-ad41-89702c22b3ac/

Selected publications by Westboro Baptist Church

Press release (April 4, 2024). LORD WILLING, WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH TO PREACH CHRIST IN OKLAHOMA CITY. MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2024. Westboro Baptist Church https://www.godhatesfags.com/newsreleases/20240404_Oklahoma-City-Drag-Queen-Principal.pdf

Press release (September 27, 2023). LORD WILLING, WBC WILL PREACH AGAINST THE ABOMINABLE SODOMITE “TRANSGENDER” SIN, THAT IS OPENLY TAUGHT IN USA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 FROM 7:15 – 7:45 AM. Westboro Baptist Church https://godhatesfags.com/newsreleases/20230927_Bonner-Springs-Middle-Schools-Transgender-Instruction.pdf

Press release (November 28, 2022). LORD WILLING, WBC TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN ST. MARYS, KANSAS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 AT 11:25AM. Westboro Baptist Church https://godhatesfags.com/newsreleases/20221128_St-Marys-KS.pdf

Press release (September 6, 2019). WBC TO PREACH CHRIST, WARNING ALL, AT BROOKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 3411 W. 103RD STREET, LEAWOOD, KS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH 7:35 – 8:10 AM. Westboro Baptist Church https://www.godhatesfags.com/newsreleases/20190906_Brookwood-Elementary-Leawood-KS.pdf

Press release (October 13, 2018). TRANNY SIN DOOMS NATIONS! LORD WILLING, WE WILL CRY AGAINST THE ALTARS OF YOUR FALSE
RELIGION – AMERICAN FOOTBALL – ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH! Westboro Baptist Church https://godhatesfags.com/newsreleases/20181013_FOOTBALL-Lincoln-NE-Columbia-MO.pdf

Sermon transcript (June 7, 2015). “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). Westboro Baptist Church https://www.godhatesfags.com/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20150607.pdf

Resources

Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

Anti-Defamation League (adl.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Westboro Baptist Church (godhatesfags.com)