Is Fred Phelps Done With Attacking the Gays?

Hardly.  But it seems that Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church - the extremely fringe church that Phelps founded and made famous by railing against America's tolerance of homosexuality - is now making a conscious decision to take their hate to another level, targeting the Jewish community.

JTA breaks the news.  Fred Phelps' daughter, Margie, told reporters last week at a protest outside of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that the Church would start targeting the Jewish community more, after 19 years of protesting everything in the name of extreme anti-gayness.  In addition to protesting at the ADL, Phelps and his family protested at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and have plans to protest outside of Jewish community institutions in Omaha, St. Louis, South Florida and Providence in the coming weeks.

Here's a recap of the protests, from JTA :

In Washington, the group first picketed the funeral of former congressman Jack Kemp, and then protested outside the ADL offices, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the city's largest synagogue, Washington Hebrew Congregation. (The group positioned itself across the street from the museum -- on the edge of the National Mall -- meaning that visitors to the museum that afternoon did not even necessarily see them when entering the facility.)

Margie Phelps and three fellow church members stood on the sidewalk and held signs stating that “God Hates Israel,” “Jews Killed Jesus,” “America Is Doomed,” “Israel Is Doomed,” and “ADL Jew Bullies.” One of the four women had an Israeli flag tied around her waist that dragged on the ground; she stepped on the flag as she walked.

It's barely worth covering Fred Phelps and his band of misfits, as they are well beyond the fringes of the anti-LGBT (and now, anti-semitic) movements in this country.  But for those communities who wish to organize an alternative event every time Phelps or his minions come rolling into town, you might want to check out what a group of Cambridge, MA organizers did earlier this year when the Westboro Baptist Church strolled into town.  They organized a telethon and a fundraiser to raise money for a local HIV/AIDS organization, for each hour these nutjobs protested.  The result?

Well, a new Web site: http://www.Phelps-A-Thon.com.  And a sustained campaign to allow you to fundraise for LGBT-friendly organizations wherever Phelps and his crew stroll.  It's a great way to turn anti-gay (and anti-semitic) leaders into a tool for raising money for equality and basic civil rights.