Jeff Chu's Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America has earned the type of press writers dreams of. Positive reviews for a work that searches for grace and humility when there is usually fire and brimstone. However, liberals and conservatives have found fault with the work for that exact reason. What can be expected when tackling the third rail of US politics and culture: gay sexuality and Christianity.

This was surely not the photo op members of the Westboro Baptist Church had in mind.

The notoriously anti-gay group, famous for their 'God Hates Fags' signs, showed up in Oklahoma City this week to protest at Game 5 of the NBA Quarterfinals where the city's team The Thunder faced the Houston Rockets.

Their protest stemmed from the coming out on Monday (29 April) of NBA player Jason Collins who most recently played for the Washington Wizards.

Singer Michelle Shocked is finding herself quickly losing work after an anti-gay tirade during a gig last weekend in San Francisco.

The Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado, canceled Shocked's scheduled appearance there - the final date left on her US tour after venues in several other states uninvited her to perform.

On Sunday (17 March), the singer was performing at a jazz club called Yoshi’s when she went into a rant against gay marriage saying: 'I live in fear that the world will be destroyed if gays are allowed to marry.'

The anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church claims to like the LGBT rainbow home that is now across the street from them in Topeka, Kansas.

'We thank God for the Sodomite Rainbow House,' the church said in a statement today. 'It is right across the street from the ONLY church that loves people enough to tell them the Bible truth about the filthy, soul-damning, nation-destroying sin of sodomy...The Sodomite Rainbow house helps shing a bright spotlight on this!'

A former Westboro Baptist Church member has speculated the head pastor Fred Phelps could be gay, and that is why he created the ‘God Hates Fags’ church.

Lauren Drain, who spent seven years as a baptized member of the gay hate group protesting at soldiers’ funerals, was kicked out just before she was 22.

When members of the Westboro Baptist Church showed up at Santa Monica High School today to conduct an anti-gay protest, they were in for a huge surprise.

That surprise was a huge crowd that was on hand to counter-protest the group known to protest at military funerals carrying signs that say such things as 'God Hates Fags.'

The church had protested outside the Oscars on Sunday (24 February) and chose the high school in Santa Monica as its next target because of what it believes is the school's affirmation of LGBT students.

American students have raised over $40,000 (£26,000, €30,000) in counter-protest against gay hate picketers from Westboro Baptist Church.

Students from Vassar College in New York have responded to the church's plans to protest at the pro-LGBT university earlier this month by pledging $100 for every minute the church will be there.

Known for their 'God Hates Fags' signs, the church is well known for picketing pro-gay groups and soldiers' funerals.

Two key members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church have left the fold and apologized for their past.

Megan Phelps-Roper and her sister Grace, the daughters of lead group figure Shirley Phelps, have left the church known for their ‘God Hates Fags’ signs and the picketing of soldiers’ funerals.

The two sisters pioneered social media in the ‘God Hates Fags’ group, with Phelps-Roper posting parody videos of Lady Gaga’s music videos.

In the past, Phelps-Roper has said:

Campaigners are calling on the US government to strip the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of its tax-exempt status.

The Westboro Baptists threatened to picket memorial services for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, which they claim was God’s punishment for the state of Connecticut legalizing same-sex marriage.

America’s Fox News network has made the extraordinary claim that the Westboro Baptist Church are a left-wing organization.

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) blamed marriage equality in Connecticut for the tragic shooting spree in Newtown that took 26 lives.

The Church announced that it will picket the funerals of the children with banners saying ‘God Hate Fags’ and other anti-gay hate messages.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, spokesperson of WBC and daughter of its leader, Fred Phelps, tweeted, ‘Westboro will picket Sandy Hook Elementary School to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment’.

Members of the infamous anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church have threatened to picket the site of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting less than a day after the tragedy, claiming that the shooting was God’s punishment for the state of Connecticut legalizing same-sex marriage.

Prominent church member Shirley Phelps-Roger made the threat via twitter, posting ‘Westboro will picket Sandy Hook Elementary School to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment.’