The gay hate church and the Presidential candidate

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • October 18, 2007 - 10:41

Thompson considers the church to be “a radical fringe group, looking to draw attention to themselves.“

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Members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas have sent a letter to Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson in the hopes he will support their stance against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

In the letter, released to the press earlier this week, the church said, "We know what your position used to be on the homosexual question, and it was wonderful and we saw eye to eye.

Pointing to a case that was tried in the mid-80s, the church said, "To refresh your memory, you were in Topeka to try the sexual harassment case of Marcia Tomson vs. Bob Stephan (Attorney General of Kansas).

"Attorney Margie Phelps was responsible for bringing you into the case and you were successful, winning a jury trial.

"While you were in Topeka, you visited in his home with our pastor, Fred Phelps, discussing his knowledge of potential witnesses in the case, including the pastor himself, and including former Attorney General Vern Miller, friend of Pastor Phelps," the church added.

"We look forward to hearing from you about the homosexual issue, because it is a red-hot issue in national politics, and most candidates are pro-gay rights.

"We certainly hope that you have not changed your mind about the dangers the homosexual threat presents."

So far, it's doubtful Phelps or any of his followers are happy with the response they've received from the former Tennessee senator.

Earlier today, campaign spokeswoman Karen Hanretty told the Associated Press that Thompson considers the church to be "a radical fringe group, looking to draw attention to themselves.

"Their behaviour at the funerals of fallen soldiers is disgraceful and reprehensible," she added.

"In no way do these people share Fred's values."

Margie Phelps herself suggested in an article in the Lawrence Journal-World News that Thompson showed no such support for her religious beliefs the few times they talked in the past.

"I'm quite confident he would've completely disagreed with everything about my faith," said Phelps, who had not yet started the "public ministry" of picketing for which she and the church currently are known.

Phelps' sister, Shirley Phelps-Roper, however, begs to differ. In an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Phelps-Roper said that while Thompson might disagree with the church today, he didn't disagree in the past.

Of course, she added, "He wouldn't dare stand up and say that when he's running for President."

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