New York artist satirizes Westboro Baptist Church leaders in painting

Leaders of the ultra-conservative Westboro Baptist Church have repeatedly skirted the law by maintaining a legal distance while picketing military funerals. This weekend, a New York artist attempted to beat the church at its own game by creating a satirical painting of Pastor Fred Phelps Sr. across the street from the organization's headquarters in Kansas.

Scott LoBaido traveled to the church's compound in Topeka, where he parked his truck across the street and painted a portrait depicting Phelps in a carnal embrace with the devil. The painting also lampoons Phelps' daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper. (The story was first reported in the Topeka Capital-Journal.)

A native of Staten Island, LoBaido said in a phone interview Monday that he wanted to use the church's own tactics against it by maintaining a legal distance from the property. "I'm trying to alert the creative masses to use their 1st Amendment rights," he said.

LoBaido said the church had hung numerous upside-down U.S. flags outside its compound on Sunday. The artist played the music of Lady Gaga from his vehicle when he unveiled the portrait. (Phelps has publicly criticized the pop singer.) LoBaido said police gave him a citation for playing loud music and told him that he was too close to the property.

The artist said he pointed out that he was creating a work of art and not a sign, and that he was within his legal rights to be there. The police did not take further action against him, he said.

LoBaido said the painting will be auctioned on EBay, with proceeds going toward Homes for Heroes -- an organization that helps veterans find housing -- and Community Health Action of Staten Island.

The artist, 46, described himself as a surrealist and a patriot, "two things that don't normally go together." He said he likes to travel the country, painting American flags and supporting U.S. troops.

LoBaido said he hasn't been contacted by the Westboro Baptist Church. However, Phelps-Roper told the Capital-Journal that "this is just a perpetual, nonstop effort by their thinking to stop our words."

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court sided with the church, saying that members have the right to carry anti-gay and other signs at funerals for U.S. troops.

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-- David Ng

Photos: Scott LoBaido works on his painting of Westboro Baptist Church leaders Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper. Credit: Orlin Wagner / Associated Press

 

Comments

[One Mad Mo]

Lost me at the first sentence with your triflin attempt to pin their hate on a political party. As an LGBT, I am PAINFULLY aware that the "ultra-conservatives" you speak of are in fact DEMOCRATS!

So much for journalistic integrity, you should be able to write about these filthy people without hiding the truth, you sad little zealot. *snaps*

[gary]

With all due respect to the writer. The church is not ultaconservative no more than the ACLU is ultra liberal. These memebers are just simply mean and nasty and thats all they are about.

[disbelief]

I love it! Now that's using creativity for good.

[Smartie]

This is fantastic. I would love to take part in something like this.

[Seacow]

Finally someone is fighting fire with fire. Kudos to LoBaido.

[Heisenberg]

This could end up being a watershed moment for reasonable, artistic, anti-hate people in this country. Imagine if he had thirty other artists with him??

Cheers, man!

[Matt8]

Quit giving WBC newscoverage, they are just a bunch of failed lawyers trying yank peoples' chains so they can file lawsuits:
http://kanewj.com/wbc/

[MikeH]

Why in the heck is Westboro getting all of this attention when they are really a nobody as far as church groups go? The burnings, the protests. Enough! Why doesn't the news media just ignore them. They'll soon disappear, like Charlie Sheen stories. Publicity just keeps them in the news unnecessarily. Let them fade into the dust like they're supposed to.

[SF2]

YOU GO SCOTT!! WE ARE WITH YOU!

[Peter Cogswell]

Amen brother

[Ray]

I applaud this artist for doing the right thing.
He should make t-shirts too. I'd buy several.

[Dirk Rogers]

Thanks Mr LoBaido---thank you very much!!!!

[DG3]

Brilliant!

[Manny]

This guy is my new hero, I hope the church gets what's coming to them, racist morons

[Chris Kent]

Seeing that there is no devil, Scott LoBaido is just as foolish as the WBC.

The WBC does this nation a great service, one that seems to be lost in the cacophony of knee-jerks who deride the cult for being impolite to soldier's families. 1. They are clearly practicing free speech. 2. They show very plainly that religious faith is a great moral evil all by itself.

Instead of seeing the truth on the matter, popular opinion takes the easy route and points the finger at these particularly irritating Christians as "wrong" & "different" than "good Christians," who fully support soldiers. In reality the members of the WBC have more faith in their belief than any average church goer, just like the most faithful people on the deadly 911 suicide planes were the hijackers.

So the artist is an idiot doing nothing. The church is a educational wake-up call. America can do without the former but not the later.

[D.Woodward Van Nuys.]

I'm behind you 100% Scott.those right wing nut cases need there own crap thrown right back at them.

[clem]

Good for him!
He is a true patriot for supporting our troops against these nasty, nasty people.

[HateGuide Staff]

Help the members of the Westboro Baptist Church live a hate-free lifestyle. Tell Margie Phelps you support her recovery from hate-addiction. You may also tell her IT GETS BETTER, MARGIE!

Follow @hateguide on twitter to help in the recovery efforts.

[dj]

i love love love this artist. finally someone steps up to the plate. you get my full respect.

[Stacia]

It's not accurate to say Phelps/Westboro are Democrats in the true sense of the word. Clearly, their political beliefs have little to do with any major US political party. Besides, Phelps seems to have stopped supporting the Democrats in the 1990s.

He ran as a Democrat back in the 1980s because he was running against incumbent Republicans; Democrat was the only party where he had a chance to win the primaries. He also supported Gore in the 1980s because Gore made anti-gay statements -- many forget Al Gore and his wife were pretty conservative in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Phelps denounced Gore and Democrats. As far as I know, he hasn't supported them since.