Discrimination
Anti-Gay Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Heath Ledger Funeral
By Ann Turner

Jan 24, 2008

Heath Ledger

Anti-gay minister Fred Phelps has vowed to protest at the funeral of actor Heath Ledger, who was tragically found dead on Tuesday of unknown causes. Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church is legendary for their hatred of gays and protests at the funerals of gay-bashing victims and soldiers in the U.S. military.  

"God hates fag-enablers," the Westboro Baptist Church proclaimed in a news release issued yesterday, concluding with: "Heath Ledger is now in Hell and has begun serving his eternal sentence—beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."  

Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for his role as a gay cowboy in the Ang Lee directed film Brokeback Mountain, based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx.  

"Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word," the statement from Westboro read. "God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as Brokeback Mountain—and He hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it."  

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said: “Heath Ledger will forever be remembered for his groundbreaking role as Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. His powerful portrayal changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”  

Ledger was found dead on Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment. Pills scattered around the bed where his naked body was discovered have led authorities to speculate his death might be drug related. An autopsy performed on Wednesday morning, however, said results were inconclusive and further tests would have to be done. An official cause of death will not be determined for 10 to 14 days. TMZ.com reports the actor was suffering from pneumonia prior to his death.  

Shirley Phelps-Roper stated Westboro Baptist Church members will protest memorial services in the United States, not those held in his homeland of Australia, according to Fox News. The church also plans to protest at the Academy Awards this year.  

To date, the Topeka-based church has participated in over 30,000 anti-gay protests across the U.S., according to their web site. The church hosts a variety of derogatory web sites, including GodHatesAmerica.com and GodHatesFags.com. Westboro Baptist Church was recently ordered to pay $11 million to the father of a slain U.S. soldier for picketing at his son's funeral, according to bGay.com.