Former WBC Member Says Phelps May Be Gay

[zeebaneighba]

huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/lauren-drain-westboro-baptist-church-fred-phelps-gay-experience_n_2877987.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

 

Really, does this surprise ANYBODY?

[ThatSnark]

Shocked. I'm just shocked. :shock: :roll:

[ILoveJellybeans]

Doesnt suprise me. I heard that often the most homophobic people can be gay themselves but denying it

[Mela99]

[asinglevoice]

I just finished reading her book, and something definitely happened to that guy. She mentioned that Phelps grew up dreaming of being in the military - but after just a weekend at West Point, he came home, did a complete 180 and wanted nothing to do with the military and started preaching his disgusting rhetoric. Definitely a case of one who doth protest too much.

[zeebaneighba]

That's very interesting. It does sound like something untoward happened that weekend.

[PennySycamore]

I remember reading something along those lines back in '97 or '98. We just had dial-up and the document I was reading this on was extremely long and so I did not get back to it. It did speculate that something had happened to Fred to make him so rabidly homophobic. I wish I could find it now.

[salex]

I remember reading something along those lines back in '97 or '98. We just had dial-up and the document I was reading this on was extremely long and so I did not get back to it. It did speculate that something had happened to Fred to make him so rabidly homophobic. I wish I could find it now.

http://cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/ A collection of Phelps stories, from the Topeka Cap Journal ... didn't break link as it is a news source.

[Jana814]

Doesnt suprise me. I heard that often the most homophobic people can be gay themselves but denying it

Josh Carter (Kristina's keepsakes) husband is a perfect example of your statement!

[ADoyle90815]

Josh Carter (Kristina's keepsakes) husband is a perfect example of your statement!

I would say the PP is another example of that statement.

[GolightlyGrrl]

There is a possibility that the gay-hating Fred Phelps is gay?!?!?

[0KidsAndHappy]

What I get from that is maybe that he wasn't gay, or he possibly was just learning he was ... and something bad happened. Perhaps he ended up being raped? Now he cannot separate the idea that homosexuality is not pedophilia.

I really wish this was something discussed more open, especially with what is going on with the Boy Scouts. I know so many people who feel that pedophiles are gay. Because of this, they always link homosexuals with pedophilia. But only male homosexuals. I got into a huge argument and an old job. A co-worker friend and I were talking about gays being allowed to adopt and we were both for it. Another co-worker interrupted and started going on and on about how gay men should not be allowed to adopt because they will rape the children, but he was perfectly fine with gay women being allowed to adopt because women can't be rapists. It got to be a very explosive argument and even our very far right wing Dick Cheney look-a-like boss told this guy to shut up because he was wrong.

[DarkAnts]

What I get from that is maybe that he wasn't gay, or he possibly was just learning he was ... and something bad happened. Perhaps he ended up being raped? Now he cannot separate the idea that homosexuality is not pedophilia.

I really wish this was something discussed more open, especially with what is going on with the Boy Scouts. I know so many people who feel that pedophiles are gay. Because of this, they always link homosexuals with pedophilia. But only male homosexuals. I got into a huge argument and an old job. A co-worker friend and I were talking about gays being allowed to adopt and we were both for it. Another co-worker interrupted and started going on and on about how gay men should not be allowed to adopt because they will rape the children, but he was perfectly fine with gay women being allowed to adopt because women can't be rapists. It got to be a very explosive argument and even our very far right wing Dick Cheney look-a-like boss told this guy to shut up because he was wrong.

That may be the case. Rape is traumatic for anyone. As a survivor of it, I can say that its taken me many years to trust men. I dont want to get intimate with them at this point, but I am learning to trust them again. Its taken years of counseling to get to this point. I could see someone going Fred Phelps way if they dont get the counseling or think its shameful to admit and report. I will admit to not remembering being raped, but I remember being pregnant afterwords My body aborted the fetus which was a good thing. I was only 13 at the time and I dont think I was physically ready to have a baby. I was also not emotionally ready for it either.

[laura oz]

Dear God, Shewearsfunnyhat, I am so sorry that happened to you. So glad you got some help and are open to the idea of trusting again.

Edited to add ((((hugs)))

[FloraDoraDolly]

In addition to being rabidly homophobic, Fred Phelps is also abusive and downright mean. Somebody must have done horrible things to him when he was young. I don't think it was a one-time event, either. He is someone who never learned to treat others kindly, which means people were not kind to him.

[asinglevoice]

What I get from that is maybe that he wasn't gay, or he possibly was just learning he was ... and something bad happened. Perhaps he ended up being raped? Now he cannot separate the idea that homosexuality is not pedophilia.

Lauren Drain also mentioned something along these lines in her book. Shirley was at a park with her kids and a man approached her son in a sexually threatening way, which was sort of the "birth" of her involvement in the church and the moment when the church officially took on the gay community as their #1 opponent. WBC continues to picket that park regularly, particularly during national holidays like the 4th of July.

[nelliebelle1197]

I just finished reading her book, and something definitely happened to that guy. She mentioned that Phelps grew up dreaming of being in the military - but after just a weekend at West Point, he came home, did a complete 180 and wanted nothing to do with the military and started preaching his disgusting rhetoric. Definitely a case of one who doth protest too much.

You mean he actually got into West Point??

[Ellimenopy]

You mean he actually got into West Point??

Not only did he get into West Point, he worked passionately for desegregation as a lawyer in his youth. The man is crazy, but not stupid and not amoral. Something weird is going on there.

[miffy]

Not only did he get into West Point, he worked passionately for desegregation as a lawyer in his youth. The man is crazy, but not stupid and not amoral. Something weird is going on there.

According to Nate Phelps he was racist. But Shirley is quoted as saying "We took on the Jim Crow establishment, and Kansas did not take that sitting down. They used to shoot our car windows out, screaming we were nigger lovers,".

The biggest problem with the WBC is that the family is full of extremely good lawyers.