The late, unlamented Reverend Fred Phelps was no stranger to Atlanta.
He made a famous visit here in 2010, among others, and had even threatened to boycott the funeral of Coretta Scott King.
Still, a local gay rights activist declines to speak ill of the dead.
Westboro Baptist Church's 2010 descent upon the metro produced counter-demonstrations, some of which outnumbered Phelps' Kansas contingent. Grady High School students organized much of the counter-demonstration.
"I never celebrate in someone's passing,” Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham tells WSB. “However, certainly the way he lived his life caused a lot of pain to many people."
Of that visit, Graham says, "It was certainly a sad day to have them come, but it was a great day to see so many people from so many different communities come together to stand in opposition to what Westboro Baptist Church stood for."