RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina state House is unanimously backing efforts to increase criminal penalties for people who disrupt a funeral or memorial service in response to an anti-gay Kansas church picketing military funerals nationwide.
The House voted 118-0 on Tuesday in favor of a bill that would require protesters to stay farther away from mourners and funeral services. The measure now goes to the Senate.
Violating the proposed law would result in a higher grade misdemeanor and a felony on a second offense.
The law is in response to antics by the Westboro Baptist, home of anti-gay extremists and the “Gods Hate Fags” fundamentalist movement, whose members often hold protests at soldiers’ funerals, claiming the deaths are God’s punishment for American immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.
Based in Topeka, Kan., the Westboro church is not affiliated with the Baptist denomination or any other Baptist church. According to news reports, almost all of its members — fewer than 100 — are related to founder Fred Phelps either by blood or marriage.
The hate group is best known for its protest of the funerals of U.S. service members, and first came into the national spotlight in 1998, when it picketed at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man who was brutally attacked on the night of October 6, 1998, then tied to a fence and left to die.
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absolutely disgusting.
disgusting!
yes, they ARE disgusting, but this is good news!
that should be banned from the U.S.
FINALLY!
Locked em all up in a dungeon
os invitamos a nuestra pagina!!!
Good. People are so sick. I should go picket at one of their funerals and see how they like it smh.
Westboro can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. That’s the only place they belong!
why they think they act like christ when they are hypocrites and pharisees
Then one of the Phelps turns out to be gay. https://twitter.com/WBCZach
Fucking wankers! They need ppl to picket their events so they can see how it feels!!! :@
those assholes at the westboro baptest church need to do something they have NEVER done before — SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONCE!
Westboro protest for no reason cause they want attention…
About time!
NC should make it so those a**holes are in prison. No funeral for any reason should be disrupted. It is rude and disrespectful to the friends and family of the deceased.
How are they even called a Christian?
@Vickay I am not sure they can be. With them as examples of Christianity, no one would want to be a Christian. A true Christian is filled with love, faith, kindness
Ugh, they are a horrible CULT and a STAIN on humanity. I’m not even Christian, but I know for certain that these fools are only damaging the (real/good) Christian’s (desired) message even more!!! It’s obvious that they are a hate-group and that a large majority of people think that they are wacko…. so WHY must they continue with this meaningless propaganda??? But I’m glad that someone is taking action against this.
https://www.facebook.com/BeingGayIsntAChoiceButIfItWasIWouldChooseIt
I know there’s this whole freedom of speech thing that they are allowed, but why the hell aren’t they arrested for disturbing the peace. Our lawmakers are defending them, by not making this funeral protest illegal.