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| Coretta Scott King died Jan. 30 at a medical facility in Mexico. Her funeral is set for Tuesday in Atlanta. | |
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By DYANA BAGBY
Feb 3 2006, 4:33 PM |
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The virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas, announced Feb. 3 that it would picket the funeral of civil rights icon Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King Jr.
-IMG-Mrs. King’s funeral is set for Feb. 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, a suburb of Atlanta, officials with the King Center have confirmed. It is expected to attract thousands of mourners.
Westboro Baptist Church, headed by Fred Phelps and known for its “God Hates Fags” signs carried at protests, said it is picketing the funeral because Mrs. King believed in equality for gay people.
Mrs. King's longstanding support for gay issues included speaking out publicly against a proposed federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. She was also a vocal supporter of HIV/AIDS awareness.
“WBC has warned Mrs. King for more than 10 year [sic] that by endorsing the homosexual agenda she was bringing down the wrath of God upon herself, her family and the black civil rights movement. She is an ingrate — unthankful and holy,” the church said in a press release.
Officials with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, where one of Mrs. King’s daughters, Rev. Bernice King, is an elder, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Officials at the King Center said they were unaware of any protest at the funeral.
The DeKalb County Police Department of Homeland Security did speak with officials at Westboro Baptist Church about the planned protest, a police administrator confirmed today. A police department spokesperson did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps, said the church has been in contact with local authorities and she expects a police presence at the funeral. Church members will protest in the public right-of-way near New Birth Missionary Church, she added.
Mrs, King’s body will lie in state at New Birth Missionary Church the day of the funeral from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
The location of the funeral is also causing a stir among some black gay activists, including author Keith Boykin, who serves as board president of the National Black Justice Coalition. Boykin described the choice of location as a “final twist of irony” on his blog, noting that while Mrs. King “was an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights,” her youngest daughter and New Birth’s leader are not.
The King family’s youngest child, Bernice King, helped organize a march in December 2004 with Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Church, to call for black churches to become more vocal on issues including banning same-sex marriage, reforming the education and health care systems, and creating economic opportunities for minorities.
The march, which began at Martin Luther King Jr.’s gravesite at the King Center, drew between 20,000 and 25,000 people, according to Atlanta Police Department estimates.
It is unclear at this time if Bishop Long will preach at the funeral.
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