https://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2019/dec/10/escaping-westboro-baptist-church-megan-phelps-ropers-journey-books-podcast

On this week’s show, Megan Phelps-Roper talks about growing up in the Westboro Baptist Church. Established by her grandfather, the late pastor Fred Phelps, the Kansas church is famous for its aggressive and offensive protests, with members holding up signs with slogans such as “God Hates Fags”, “Thank God for Aids” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” outside funerals, businesses and homes.

Widely regarded as a hate group, the WBC is largely made up of the children and grandchildren of Fred Phelps, who died in 2014. After a lifetime in the church, Phelps-Roper finally left in 2012 at the age of 26, reuniting with several family members already outside – but leaving behind most of her 10 siblings and her parents. She sat down with Sian to talk about her memoir Unfollow, which details how she adjusted to a new life.