‘God Hates Fags’ church founder Fred Phelps dies
The founder of the adamantly homophobic Westboro Baptist Church, Fred Phelps, has died.
According to WIBW-TV in Topeka, where the church is based, a son of Phelps, Timothy confirmed that Phelps died before midnight on Wednesday.
His daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper also confirmed the news to the Topeka Capital Journal.
Steve Drain, spokesman for the church said that Phelps, 84, had been cared for in a Shawnee County facility.
The anti-gay church claims that everything bad that happens to Americans from the death of soldiers, mass murder through to natural disasters are a punishment of God for the existence of gay people in the United States.
It gained international attention for its “god hates fags” slogan.
An excommunicated member of the church recently said that she felt that Fred Phelps was gay.
Phelps’ estranged son Nathan last weekend told the press that his father was on his deathbed, and said that he had been excommunicated from the church in August.
