Such unrestrained behaviors have caused embarrassment even to seasoned anti-gay religious fanatics such as Gary Bauer and were cited Friday by a prominent openly-gay city planner as his reason for turning down a major assignment in Topeka, Kansas, home to the Reverend Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church. The controversy has erupted across the front pages of Topeka's newspapers.

Darrell Lewis, who is Deluth, Minnesota's city planner, refused a job as the city-county planning agency in Topeka saying that he would be unable to take up residence in a city where activities such as the Reverend Phelps' are tolerated.

Lewis, in a letter to Topeka Mayor Joan Wagnon, explained that "Phelps has created in your community an environment of oppression."

When the city planner visited Topeka he found gay residents living in fear because of the Reverend Phelps' vicious tactics. When Topeka residents express tolerance for gay men and lesbians they run the risk of igniting the Reverend Phelps' wrath.

The Baptist parson has been known to picket the homes of heterosexuals who express their sympathies for same-sex lovers who must endure such persecution as Phelps encourages.

"Watch out for those people who tell you its OK to be gay—they'll take you to hell with them," says Phelps on his Web site.

Ted Ensley, nearby Shawnee County Commission Chairman, believes that the loss of the gay city planner is an unfortunate reflection on both Topeka and Shawnee County. "What kind of message does that send to the nation," he asked.

Apparently, Topeka's city and county leadership has not stood still while Phelps rants and raves against "fags". "It isn't that this community doesn't care," Ensley told reporters, "We've tried almost every legal thing (to bring an end to Phelps' mad crusades) but nothing seems to work."

Minnesota, where Lewis' planning talents are best known, has adopted laws prohibiting employment discrimination on account of sexual orientation. The highly respected city planner also explained in his letter to Topeka's Mayor that the adoption by Topeka of such anti-discrimination laws would constitute an effective way of rebutting fanatics such as Phelps. It would, he said, be "an important repudiation of Phelps."