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.

Much of the Vatican's income comes from donations from Catholics around the world. The US was the largest single contributor to Peter's Pence — the collection used by the Pope for charitably donations — sending almost US$19m (£9.5m).

No, apparently it's all related to property.

But the shortfall was mitigated by a rise of €4m in property income. The Holy See is a major owner of property across Rome and was criticised last year for raising rents and threatening to evict tenants. Some even formed an association to protest that their homes were being turned into hotels.

Way to go, guys. Nice to see the Vatican helping out in the human misery stakes by booting people out of the homes so they can be turned into profit making ventures. It's even more ironic when you consider that earlier in the year the Vatican released a new list of mortal sins which included Accumulating excessive wealth. Certainly an interesting stance when reports of the church's accumulated wealth is estimated at around the £4b mark. Must be a case of do as I say, not as I do.

I'm still a little baffled how they can lose so much money in property when they're tax exempt.

And in 2007 a political row broke out over the tax exemptions enjoyed by the Roman Catholic church in Italy. Under a deal first hammered out in 1929, it does not pay property taxes.

If they're investing in property for anything other than church buildings, they have no right to demand tax exemptions. But I guess those dodgy deals are how they managed to accrue €5b. When you look at it like that, a measly €9.1m may well be the change under the cushions.

Holy See plunges into red—The Guardian, 10th July 2008.

The full statement follows:

Public Statement on the Incident at the women’s toilet at Pride involving a Trans woman

We at Pride deeply regret this incident happened and are doing everything within our power to remedy the situation. As the Appointed Director to handle this issue I am concerned that a lot of misinformation has been circulating with regard to this.

So let me clear some of this up:

Firstly SFM workers are not volunteers for Pride London, they are handled by SFM directly. The incident that took place in the women’s toilet did not involve one of Pride’s stewards as been reported as we at Pride do not adhere to any discrimination issues. We have a clear policy with regard to toilets and usage by Trans people, that is a Trans woman is clearly allowed to use the women’s toilet and a Trans male clearly able to use a male toilet. We would never say to any Trans person to use the disable[d] loo as this is clearly illegal.

SFM have adhered to Pride’s policies for their three years of providing additional stewarding at our events, and this is the first complaint we have had over their handling of such an issue in all that time against all the hundreds of staff that they provide. SFM have assured us that this incident was not how they would normally handle such an issue, and was a genuine mistake. We are working with them to ensure that there is no repetition.

Secondly we at Pride cannot speak on behalf of the Metropolitan Police with regard to this incident. It has been alleged that one of their LGBT liaison officers requested a Gender Recognition Certificate: this is a breach of all legislation in relation to Trans, as very few individuals can request this, and a GRC is never to be used as an ID document. I am sure that the Metropolitan Police will be looking into this.

Thirdly we have very clear policies regarding equality and expect that all sub-contractors adhere to this - this is going to be looked into as a matter of urgency.

*Making this Public statement I must also say that we deeply regret that Roz Kaveney had to endure such an experience at our event, this is deeply regrettable and should never have happened, and so I publicly apologise on behalf of Pride London to her with regard to this, and we will endeavour to ensure that it never happens in the future with respect to any groups that are a part of our stakeholders forum, or indeed any one attending Pride London’s events.*

When things like this happen it leaves a very distasteful feeling with any person or community who feel that they are being singled out or picked on and this is not what we are about at Pride London. We hold very dearly our commitment to equality. We accept that in some cases training is important and we are happy to work with any of our contractors with the training of their volunteers in this respect, and we will also include any individual or groups that have an interest with this as well, where appropriate. This can involve Trans members being called upon to be a part of a training package.

Pride London has an excellent track record or working with all members of our community, and has in particular a strong record on Trans issues. This incident has marred a very successful event and lessons have to be and must be learnt from it.

Patrick Williams
Chair stakeholders Committee and HR Director
for and on behalf of Pride London

ToiletGate: The Apology—Cheryl's Mewsings, 8th July 2008.

Fear is driving rabbit owners in Germany to lock up their pets at night after a spate of brutal bunny slayings in which pets have been beheaded and drained of blood....

There has been speculation that satanists could be responsible because many of the way the rabbits have been killed.

And if that wasn't enough, the internet is also to blame.

The task force is looking into the possibility that the rabbits were being targeted using the online mapping programme Google Earth.

I'm betting it's a lone nutter, or teenagers.

German police investigate serial rabbit killings—The Guardian, 9th July 2008.

Official stewards who were running the toilets at Trafalgar Square announced that I, and any other transgender or transsexual woman, had to use the disabled toilets and was not allowed to use the regular women's toilets. I pointed out to the stewards that I transitioned and had surgery before they were born; I was more polite than a polite thing. No dice.

I went and fetched a posse of transwomen and transmen and we made a collective fuss. Their response - and remember these were official stewards AT PRIDE - was to radio in 'we're being attacked by a mob of trannies! send backup'. They were joined by a policeman, who was a LGBT liaison officer, who claimed that we had to be able to show our Gender Recognition Certificates if we wanted to use the women's loos and got quite upset when I explained to him that I had been involved in drafting the Act and that it did not take away rights that existed before it. At one point he threatened to arrest us for demonstrating on private property - those loos belong to Westminster Council, so you are not allowed to make a fuss there.

Needless to say, a Facebook group—Stop Transphobia at Pride—has already been created.

As one commenter on LiveJournal put it:

WTF! LGBT Pride is worse than the other kind—Silence Exile and Crumpets, 6th July 2008. See also Transphobia at Pride.

Notice the book in Robert Mugabe’s hand when he was hastily sworn for a sixth term as President of Zimbabwe? Yes folks, the lunatic dictator – a devout Catholic – was clutching a Bible.

Mugabe is 84-years-old, and with any luck will soon be dead. And when he does finally turn up his toes, what’s the bet that religious revisionists, shaking their heads over the destruction he wreaked on his country, will vilify him as an atheist – just as they do now in respect of that other great Catholic dictator, Adolf Hitler.

For the moment though, Mugabe remains in good standing with the Roman Catholic Church...

Of course, should anyone suggest that pooves be treated as actual human beings, they would be deafened by condemnations from representatives of that same church.

Mugabe - a good Catholic dictator … just like Hitler!—The Freethinker, 3rd July 2008.

The official Jewish Tartan is an authentic Scottish tartan created by Heritage Experts and Rabbis...

Initiated by Rabbi Mendel Jacobs (pictured above) - the only Scottish born Rabbi living in Scotland, it's 100% Kosher - being a non wool-linen mix, and as it incorporates many aspects of Scottish-Jewish cultural and religious history, it is the perfect representation of our heritage.

If your heritage is based on mixing up religious and national identities merrily, that is.

In the tartan design we have blue and white the colours of both the Israeli and Scottish flags with the central gold line representing the gold from the Ark in the Biblical Tabernacle and the many ceremonial vessels. The silver is to represent the silver that adorns the Scroll of the Law and the colour red is for the traditional red Kiddush wine.

Navreet Singh, 22, who removed the head before taking it to the police, said whoever had tied it to the memorial was "ignorant" and "mindless".... "It's inhuman. This is a war memorial. It's not a Sikh monument, it is a British one. "It seems like someone was trying to attack Muslims. It is ignorance."

Pig's head tied to Sikh memorial—BBC News, 13th June 2008.

His wife of 36 years, Ruth, is standing by him and is understood to have accompanied him abroad to his other ministry, in the American state of Arizona.

Where he presumably thinks they do not have the internet, nor read newspapers.

Reid had already resigned as director of the Christian Coalition for Traditional Values, and is best known for his role in the campaign against Jerry Springer: the Opera. The only time he has featured in the Prattle is when a Peniel Church billboard in Edinburgh was creatively vandalised.

Update: He might not be doing much in Arizona after all, according to the Michael Reid Ministries home page:

Bishop Michael Reid tendered his resignation from the church board and stepped down from pastoral duties in the church. The reason is that he has sinned by committing adultery and he has unreservedly apologised for what he had done and has taken full responsibility for his actions.

Bishop who preached family values finally admits: I am an adulterer—Daily Mail, 10th April 2008; Pastor resigns post over adultery—BBC News, 10th April 2008; Bad "Bishop" resigns from CCTV—MediaWatchWatch, 8th April 2008. See also Bishop Michael Reid Resigns over Sex Scandal—Bartholomew's Notes on Religion, 8th April 2008, for considerably more detail and analysis of this story.

WERE IS HE THE ANTI-CHRIST.I CAN NAME A WOMAN IN AMERICA WHO FOOLED ALL THE MEDIA AND PEOPLE'S PERPTION OF BEAUTY AND VIRTUES.

Oh no, not an anti-Hillary Clinton rant? No, nothing so mundane.

carolyn bessette.EVEN BEFORE SHE WAS DATING JOHNF.KENNEDY JR. HER BIRTHDAY WAS JAN.6,1966 AND HER INTENTION VRY MUCH LIKE THE GENE TAIRNEY CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE WERE SHE KILLS HER HUSBAND'S BROTHER AND AND UNBORN CHILD FOR SICK DEMONANIC PURPOSE VERSES THE FAULSE PERCEPTION OF GOOD. ALL THE WAY GOD GAVE SIGN OF THIS WOMAN MENTAL SICKNESS AND EVIL BEHAVIOR BEHIND AND INFRONT OF THE CAMERA.APOUN HER BEING ANNOUNCE JOHN'S WIFE SHE QUIKLY CHANGED HER HEIGHT AND WEIGHT FROM 5'9 TO 6'0 AND FROM A WAVE WEIGHT TO MORE 105 POUNDS.HER HAIR WAS NOT NATURALLY BLONDE BUT COLORED BLONDE .HER IMAGES CHANGED OVER THE YEARS NO FOR PHOTOGENIC PURPOSE BUT FOR A BETTER PUBLIC APPEAL WHILE SHE CHANGE HER POINTS OF HER PAST HISTORY OF BEING A DRUG ABUSER WHORE AND UNVIRTURIUOS IN HER PANTIES COSTANTLY SINNING IN HER LIFE. ARRANGING PEOPLE'S LIFE STYLE TO BETTER HR IMAGE AND YET BLEEDING HER VITIUM OF REALITY UNTIL THEY GET SO EMOTIONAL ABUSED AD PHYSICALLY THEY CAN'T SEE THAT SHE HAS A DEMON PERSONAL.WHY NO ONE SEES HER PLOTTING TO TAKE SOMEONE LIKE JOHN OUT OF THI WORLD BECAUSE SHE CAN'T HANDLE NOT CONTROLING HIM AND OTHERS IN THE LIGHT OF THE MEDIA. THUS TAKING SOMETHING SO SEMBLE AND ENLARGING INTO A BIG DEAL.TO INSURE HER DEMONATIC BEHAVIOR SEX LIFE AND SIN PRAYS SHE PRAYS IN HER EVERYDAY LIFE TO HURT PEOPLE FOR THEIR PERCEPTION OF GOD LOVE AND GOODESS.

In case you are confused, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was the wife of John F. Kennedy Jr. and died with him in a plane crash in 1999.