'Most-hated,' anti-gay preacher once fought for civil rights

Contents:

• 'MOST-HATED,' ANTI-GAY PREACHER ONCE FOUGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
• A HOLY WAR AGAINST GAYS
• FRED PHELPS LOS ANTI-GAY MATTHEW SHEPARD BID
• ANTI-GAY PREACHERS FRED PHELPS AND SHIRLEY PHELPS-ROPER BANNED OM BRA
• DID PHELPS' HATE FOR HOMOSEXUALS FURTHER GAY RIGHTS U.S.?

'MOST-HATED,' ANTI-GAY PREACHER ONCE FOUGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Fred Phelps nunciatn of gays ma him famo, but few know that he was a civil rights lawyer who fought racism. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Fred Phelps sparks outrage wh his protts agast gays Kansas pastor's protts are foc of U.

(CNN) -- He is the lear of "Ameri's most hated fay, " a gnt, craggy-faced preacher who displays "God Hat Fags" signs at the funerals of Amerin troops, gay men and AIDS victims. Fred Phelps has led his Topeka, Kansas, church on a cross-untry csa agast gays and lbians. He fought for the rights of blacks, they say, wh the same passn he now rerv for the nmnatn of gays.

A HOLY WAR AGAINST GAYS

Ben Stt, print of the NAACP's Topeka branch, says he never heard Phelps talk about homosexuals durg his work as a civil rights attorney. That's bee there's a distct difference between gay people and black people, she says. Shepard was tortured and murred for beg gay.

Phelps' church claims the aths are God's punishment for the natn's tolerance of homosexualy. " Douglas says he had no clue then about Phelps' attu toward gays and lbians. Phelps' crics now spise him for another reason -- his anti-gay activism.

" Phelps' anti-gay pickets ntue even though his se is pendg before the U. The fay plans to vis Atlanta, Geia, startg Wednday for two days of protts, cludg one at a Jewish muny center and a playhoe stagg a productn honor of Shepard, the sla gay llege stunt.

FRED PHELPS LOS ANTI-GAY MATTHEW SHEPARD BID

It lls Phelps Ameri's most notor anti-gay activist. He pickets two gay men Kansas were killed a r crash earlier this year, Phelps and his fay marched around their funerals rryg signs rated wh slogans such as "Fags serve ath.

And Phelps is planng to picket the funeral of "Bewched" actor Dick Sargent, a gay activist who isn't even ad but is sufferg om advanced ncer. "Acrdg to one of Phelps' 13 children, Shirley Phelps-Roper, the Phelps fay spends about 30 hours each week picketg "the sodome agenda"-at funerals, as well as parks, rtrants and retail stor where gays allegedly hang out or work.

"Bee homosexualy is at the heart of the downfall of society, " Phelps says. "Ironilly, Phelps says he don't hate gays.

ANTI-GAY PREACHERS FRED PHELPS AND SHIRLEY PHELPS-ROPER BANNED OM BRA

"I have iends that are gay, " he says. "Oh, they don't know I know they're gay, but I do.

"Boston lawyer Mel Dahl, who wr a lumn that is syndited to more than a dozen gay publitns natnwi, has been a Phelps watcher for a long time. "Nothg would please me more than to have him drop off the face of the Earth, " says Dahl, who is gay. "He has generated a lot of sympathy for gays, " Dahl says.

DID PHELPS' HATE FOR HOMOSEXUALS FURTHER GAY RIGHTS U.S.?

"There are a lot of people Topeka who have lost jobs bee of Phelps, " Dahl says, rellg an cint which an employee a hardware store lost his job bee the Phelps group picketed the store on a mor that the employee was gay. "If they fd a gay person workg a rtrant or store, they'll picket outsi the shop every day, " Dahl not.

"And even if the bs owner supports gay rights, he has to thk of the bs first.

But he do have a strong plan regardg gays. "I would persecute gays unr the full extent of the law and prosecute media who enurage crime by promotg that liftyle.

LGBT is still a popular term ed to discs genr and sexual mori, but all GSRM are wele beyond lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people who nsent to participate a safe space.