Panic! At The Disco fight anti-gay group with charity donation

Panic! At The Disco will donate at least $1000 (£600) to charity after Westboro Baptist Church picketed their concert in Kansas City, Missouri yesterday (July 20).

The pop-punk band took to Facebook to respond to the protest threats, writing: “Today the Westboro Baptist Church is going to picket us. For every member of WBC that actually shows up we will donate $20 (£12) to Human Rights Campaign.”

After only 13 members of the notorious anti-gay group turned up to demonstrate outside the gig, securing a pledge of $260 (£160), the band posted a new message promising to nearly quadruple their donation – and add in a portion of the night’s proceeds from merchandise.

The Westboro Baptist Church – notorious for their slogan ‘God Hates Fags’ – recently recorded a homophobic parody of Panic! At The Disco’s 2006 hit I Write Sins Not Tragedies titled You Love Sin What A Tragedy.

The band’s lead singer Brendon Urie spoke candidly about his sexuality last year, saying: “I guess if I had to classify myself, I’d say I’m straight. But I have, in the past, experimented in other realms of homosexuality and bisexuality. Overall I’m more attracted to women.”

Last month (June), country singer Brad Paisley responded to a Westboro Baptist Church demonstration outside one of his concerts by taking a tongue-in-cheek selfie with the protesters – click here to check it out.