Fred Phelps There is a claim the man who led the ‘God Hates Fags’ Westboro Baptist Church had a change of heart about gay rights before he died, and that’s why he was thrown out of the church. Fred Phelp’s grandson claims his grandfather was excommunicated when he spoke positively about Equality House, a house across the road from the church’s Kansas headquarters which was painted in rainbow colours as a symbol of love and equality. “Fred W. Phelps, my grandfather, came out in support of the Equality House before he was voted out of Westboro Baptist Church,” Zach Phelps has posted on Equality House’s Facebook page, along with that of Aaron Jackson, the founder of the group which runs it, Planting Peace. “Specifically,” Zach Phelps writes, “on the day that he was excommunicated, he stood outside of the front door of the church (but not within anyone’s earshot but a few members of WBC who happened to be in the immediate vicinity)… I say, he spoke words to this effect to the Equality House: ‘You are good people.’” The younger Phelps believes his grandfather had a change of heart after his grandmother nearly died. “I love my grandfather! And I believe people DO change, if they are inspired enough!” he says.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 25th May 2014 - 10:30am