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Australia: According to a gay website, Australian authorities have refused visas to members of Westboro Baptist Church who planned to picket World Youth Day.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, spokesperson for Westboro, told Same Same,If your government would give us a visa we would be there, but they won’t!
I haven't seen this story anywhere else other than on this Australian gay site, but the Westboro Baptist Church did issue a press release on July 12th indicating their intent to go to Australia [PDF]. This reads:
WBC to picket Catholic World Youth Day Sydney, Australia, July 20
Yes, these Roman Catholic priests, bishops, cardinals – all the way up to the Pope – have got a lot of shameless nerve, luring hundreds of kids to a sodomite island thousands of miles away, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with their reputation of molesting kids! And what kind of idiots – escapees from the funny farm masquerading as parents – will let their kids go to Fantasy Island of the Fags, masquerading as a nation called Australia?
"GOD HATES AUSTRALIA" for criminalising gospel preaching about fags. Just to quote Leviticus 18:22, (Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is an abomination), will get you arrested in fag dominated Australia.
Now, the Phelps are US citizens, and could therefore go to Australia on an Electronic Travel Authority (Visitor) (Subclass 976), assuming picketing is considered to be tourism purposes
(dubious at best). But they announced their intent 8 days before the event they planned to picket, and the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship recommends you are advised to apply for your ETA at least two (2) weeks before your proposed date of travel
. They also note that there is a lot of demand for visas due to World Youth Day and suggest applying before June 1st! There are limitations with respect to criminal convictions, but the civil judgement against the church wouldn't fall foul of them. Perhaps the Australian authorities were concerned that they were trying to flee their financial obligations? Without any other sources, it's impossible to even guess.
Australia: A Fag Fantasy Island—Same Same, 18th July 2008; Walls close in on Phelpses—The Topeka Capital-Journal, 4th April 2008.
Posted in
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at 13:55. Last modified on July 20 2008 at 14:06.
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Comments
1: Posted by: Marc from the FOF | July 20, 2008 6:44 PM
You might like this interview we did with Shirley Phelps, the spokesperson of the Church. As gay people conducting the interview, it was a really weird experience, but you may find Shirley to be charming in some aspects.
2: Posted by: Red Wolf | July 25, 2008 8:08 AM
I got around to listening to Mark's Feast of Fools interview with Shirley Phelps this morning. Before listening, I thought he was taking the piss about her being "charming in some aspects". He wasn't. A most surreal interview.
3: Posted by: rik - sydney | August 2, 2008 12:45 AM
I've just listened/experienced Shirl and must admit to having a 'surrel' experience. A seemingly 'normal' person talking like this? Yay for Shirley, the best spokesperson for gay rights to all people who's IQ manages to ascend into the tripple digit figures.
Rik (sydney, Australia)
4: Posted by: Anonymous Coward | August 7, 2008 1:34 PM
Awwww, whats the matter Freddy Krueger Phelp Whelp? wont the mean and nasty Australians let you harrass people?
Well, as a Australian, I have news for you bucko! if your group did turn up here in our country and picket, the locals would beat the FUCKING SHIT out of you and leave you to die....And guess what, I'm one of them.
NEVER come here Phelps, unless you have a death wish.
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