Granddaughter of homophobe Fred Phelps details horrors of abusive upbringing

Granddaughter of homophobe Fred Phelps details horrors of abusive upbringing

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Megan Phelps Roper, the granddaughter of Fred Phelps, has opened up about her upbringing in a bombshell new interview.

Fred Phelps, of course, was the notorious homophobic preacher at the Westboro Baptist Church. Throughout the 1980s, ’90s and into the 2000s, Phelps became a fixture of protest, blaming the ills of the world on homosexuality. He and his followers often showed up at the funerals of AIDS patients, or, in the case of Matthew Shepard, that of a hate crime victim, to shame the dead, claiming they were in Hell.

For Megan, attending these kinds of protests with her granddad became a part of everyday life. “We thought it was our duty to go and warn people of the consequences of their sins, and I understood that to be the definition of loving our neighbor,” she tells KMBC News. “We would always say the sign doesn’t say anything about our personal hatred – it’s talking about the hatred of God.”

As one of 11 children and with an enormous extended family–Fred Phelps sired 13 kids of his own–Megan had a twisted upbringing. She began attending Phelps’ protests at age 5 and struggled with the family’s rigid, even violent, religiosity. “It was abusive – there’s no question in my mind it was. Gramp’s policy was to beat first, ask questions later.”

Related: See Inside “Radical Extremist” Fred Phelps’ Recently Released FBI File

As she matured, and with the advent of social media, Megan began to question the beliefs of her family. “The way that it came into my mind was, ‘Oh my God, what if we’re just people, what if this isn’t the place led by God himself?’ And that realization was staggering and completely destabilizing.” She eventually left the church with her sister in 2012 to begin a new life. Fred Phelps died in 2014, and Megan still has limited contact with her family.

Perhaps Phelps Roper’s most startling revelation shows the full effect of her grandfather’s bigotry and abuse. “I don’t really believe in God anymore,” she confesses. “I don’t like to say I’m not a believer, because I’m a believer in a lot of things, primarily hope, and grace and the power of human connection. But God? No.”

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Melania Trump Booed Loudly at Baltimore Youth Summit: WATCH

Melania Trump Booed Loudly at Baltimore Youth Summit: WATCH

First Lady Melania Trump was booed loudly after being introduced at a Baltimore youth summit aimed at raising awareness about opioid addiction.

.@FLOTUS Melania Trump speaks at the #BMore Youth Summit… and the kids #boo her…@gtconway3d have you seen this? pic.twitter.com/tNzx0RKpLV

— EMN (@EMN) November 26, 2019

CNN reports: “The heckling lasted for about one minute, according to CNN’s Kate Bennett, who was in the room. But the audience remained raucous, audibly speaking over her remarks throughout her brief speech to the B’More Youth Summit. … She was again loudly booed, and also cheered, as she departed the stage at the conclusion of her speech. This is the first time the first lady has been publicly booed at a solo event, though the Trump administration has had strained relations with the city of Baltimore.”

The post Melania Trump Booed Loudly at Baltimore Youth Summit: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Melania Trump Booed Loudly at Baltimore Youth Summit: WATCH

Communities Make the Difference This World AIDS Day – At Home and Around the World

Communities Make the Difference This World AIDS Day – At Home and Around the World

Post submitted by HRC Global Senior Manager Taylor N. T. Brown

Each Dec. 1, advocates around the world come together to recognize World AIDS Day. The annual commemoration is a vital opportunity to remember those who have come before us, show solidarity with communities and elevate the stories of advocates working around the world to end HIV & AIDS.

This year, the Joint United Nations (U.N.) Programme on HIV & AIDS is organizing around the theme, “Communities make the difference.” HRC understands the value of empowered community advocates around the world and through our work amplifies the innovative approaches many use to fight HIV & AIDS.

This spring, HRC Global hosted advocates from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, many of whom are working to end HIV & AIDS and the dangerous stigma around it, at our 2019 Global Innovative Advocacy Summit. Through their words and actions, these activists inspire us to continue working to end HIV & AIDS once and for all.

“These global advocates are leading the way in their communities to support people living with HIV & AIDS. Their efforts show that LGBTQ communities have and continue to make a difference in this fight,” said HRC Global Director Jay Gilliam.

Our HRC Global Innovators are making a tangible difference — not just in their home communities, but also around the world. They have gone to the U.N. to advocate for the protection of human rights for people living with HIV & AIDS. And in their own communities, they are bringing together peers and community members to push for the inclusion of transgender people in developing national guidance on combatting HIV.

Collectively, they have lifted up LGBTQ people and others living with HIV through Pride celebrations, innovative tools to accessing services, messages of hope and determination and providing support for women vulnerable to HIV.

Working together, we can end HIV.

Visit hrc.org/HIV for more information on HRC Foundation’s work to end HIV and share this video.

For more information about HRC’s work around the world, subscribe to our quarterly newsletter and visit hrc.org/Global. 

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