Members of the US Westboro Baptist Church, who chant slogans such as "fags burn in hell", have unintentionally raised money for a gay rights group. LGBT activists have set up a scheme in which people are asked to donate money for every minute the Phelps family protest against gays.
The vehemently homophobic church, whose leader Fred Phelps runs GodHatesFags.com, turned up to picket outside the White House on Monday, calling President Obama the 'antichrist' for his support of equality.
However, Phelps and his church were met by LGBT supporters who protested against them, raising money for local group Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence.
The scheme was thought up by Driving Equality, an organisation that has held various 'Phelps-A-Thons'.
Visitors to the website www.phelps-a-thon.comcan sponsor the Westboro Baptist Church by choosing an amount to donate for every minute the group chants slogans such as “god hates fags".
All of the proceeds go towards local LGBT support groups, or to Driving Equality.
Driving Equality aims to raise $25,000 (£17,374) and has already raised over $10348 (£7,192).
Some of this money is to fund founder Chris Mason's 100-day, 16,000-mile road trip through 48 states to advance LGBT equality.
There have been other 'Phelps-A-Thons' at places such as Harvard and SUNY and Mason has appealed for more, saying that he can organise the sponsoring events wherever the fundamentalist family visit.
"Let me know and I will add a Phelps-A-Thon for your community. We can work together to raise money for your local gay/straight alliance or LGBT community centre," he said.
Last month, the church threatened to picket a London primary school after it held lessons on same-sex relationships as part of LGBT History Month.
Around 30 parents took their children out of George Tomlinson School in February to protest over the curriculum.
The group stated: "God hates the UK and the Tomlinson School fag tyranny, where conscientious parents face religious persecution for withdrawing their children on lying fag so-called history.
"This is yet another warning to the UK to repent of their manifold sins of the flesh, or perish."
Despite the threat, the group did not arrive to chant outside the school.
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(Source: PN)