The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing—three dead, more than a hundred injured—once again thrust a notorious group into the national spotlight. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), based in Topeka, Kansas, has long courted infamy by picketing U.S. military funerals, all to champion their fervent anti‑LGBT agenda. Their belief? Homosexuality deserves the death penalty and its adherents are destined for Hell. They even tweeted, “God Sent The Bombs In A Fury Over Fag Marriage!” as they plotted to infiltrate the victims’ funerals. Thousands rallied to block them, a cyber‑attack already targeted the cult, and the drama only deepens as they continue to spew venom. Below are ten out‑there facts that shine a light on one of the world’s most reviled groups.
From their obscure beginnings to shocking legal victories, from a rainbow‑painted house next door to an unexpected rivalry with the KKK, these ten insane facts will give you a front‑row seat to the bizarre world of Westboro.
10 They Rose To Fame Through Tragedy
The Westboro Baptist Church was founded in 1955 by Fred Phelps and lingered in relative obscurity for decades, waving anti‑gay signs at pride parades and similar events. Membership has always been tiny—just a few dozen, most of whom are extended relatives of the leadership. Their first splash of global attention arrived at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a 21‑year‑old University of Wyoming student brutally murdered for being gay. During the service, WBC handed out leaflets declaring, “It is too late to rescue Matthew Shepard from the life of sin and shame…All who say, ‘It’s OK to be gay,’ have the blood of Matthew Shepard on their hands.”
9 They’re Not Fond Of Swedish Vacuum Cleaners
In 2005, the WBC staged perhaps their most absurd demonstration: a protest outside a Topeka appliance store over the sale of Swedish vacuum cleaners. The stunt was a reaction to Sweden’s arrest of Pentecostal pastor Åke Green for hate speech against homosexuals. Green was sentenced to a month in prison but later acquitted. Whether the WBC’s protest helped Green remains a mystery.
When Apple co‑founder Steve Jobs died in 2011, the WBC announced plans to picket his funeral, tweeting via iPhone: “Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin.” The protest never materialized, but the irony was palpable—members used the very technology they condemned to spread their message. Interestingly, the iPhone hosts a myriad of religious apps, including a Catholic Confession app officially sanctioned by the Church.
When Michael Jackson passed away in June 2009, the WBC quickly declared they would picket his memorial, branding him “filthy, adulterous, idolatrous…” They even released a parody song titled “God Hates the World,” riffing off Jackson’s own “We Are the World,” though no copy of the track has surfaced online.
6 Their Enemies Are Musical, Too
Beyond funerals, the WBC has crashed dozens of public events—Kansas City Chiefs games, concerts, even Comic‑Con—claiming they’re protecting morality. On September 16, 2011, they tried to disrupt a Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City, Missouri. The band responded with a flamboyant flat‑bed truck entrance, performing an impromptu, homo‑erotic rendition of “Keep It Clean,” pausing mid‑song to preach equality. It was one of the most memorable musical counter‑protests in recent memory.
5 The Supreme Court Ruled In Their Favor
After picketing Marine Matthew Snyder’s funeral in March 2006, the Snyder family sued WBC for invasion of privacy and defamation, initially winning a $10.9 million judgment. However, a federal appeals court later overturned the verdict, ruling the protest fell under protected free speech. The court even ordered the Snyder family to cover the WBC’s $16,000 legal fees. Public donations helped the church cover those costs, but the legal battle persisted until March 2, 2011, when the Supreme Court again sided with WBC, stating they were entitled to “special protection” under the First Amendment.
4 Canada and the UK Banned Them
In August 2008, after the brutal murder of 22‑year‑old Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus, the WBC announced intentions to protest his funeral. Canada swiftly barred the group from entering the country, stopping several members at the Niagara Falls border. The United Kingdom took a similar stance when the WBC threatened to picket a production of “The Laramie Project” at Queen Mary’s College, banning the Phelps family from the country.
3 They Have Earned The Wrath Of Hackers
Hacktivist collective Anonymous, famed for targeting oppressive regimes and organizations, turned its sights on the WBC when the church threatened to protest the funerals of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims. Anonymous breached the WBC website, leaked members’ personal data, shut down the site, and even hijacked Fred Phelps’ daughter’s Twitter. When the church again threatened Boston Marathon funerals, Anonymous warned, “If #WBC protests the Boston funerals, they will have to expect us,” later posting uplifting images of Martin Luther King Jr. and adorable kittens on the compromised site.
2 They Have Cool Neighbors
In March 2013, the WBC’s property was flanked by a house painted in a vivid rainbow—a bold statement from Aaron Jackson’s Equality House, part of his Planting Peace organization. The house serves as a beacon of tolerance, hosting anti‑bullying initiatives and even recruiting Fred Phelps’ granddaughter Libby, who publicly rejected the church’s hateful doctrine.
1 Even The KKK Hates Them
While the Ku Klux Klan has long been synonymous with hate, even they find the WBC’s tactics distasteful—especially the picketing of soldiers’ funerals. Many Klan members, themselves veterans, have organized counter‑protests, displaying modest American flags and condemning the Westboro Church’s extreme methods.
Mike Devlin is an aspiring novelist. He loves almost everybody.