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Page Number: 12

8 

SNYDER v. PHELPS 

Opinion of the Court 

form, and context, no factor is dispositive, and it is neces-
sary  to  evaluate  all  the  circumstances  of  the  speech,  in-
cluding what was said, where it was said, and how it was
said. 

The  “content”  of  Westboro’s  signs  plainly  relates  to
broad  issues  of  interest  to  society  at  large,  rather  than
matters  of  “purely  private  concern.”    Dun  &  Bradstreet, 
supra,  at  759.  The  placards  read  “God  Hates  the
USA/Thank  God  for  9/11,”  “America  is  Doomed,”  “Don’t 
Pray  for  the  USA,”  “Thank  God  for  IEDs,”  “Fag  Troops,” 
“Semper Fi Fags,” “God Hates Fags,” “Maryland Taliban,”
“Fags Doom Nations,” “Not Blessed Just Cursed,” “Thank
God  for  Dead  Soldiers,”  “Pope  in  Hell,”  “Priests  Rape
Boys,” “You’re Going to Hell,” and “God Hates You.”  App.
3781–3787.  While  these  messages  may  fall  short  of
refined  social  or  political  commentary,  the  issues  they 
highlight—the  political  and  moral  conduct  of  the  United
States and its citizens, the fate of our Nation, homosexual-
ity  in  the  military,  and  scandals  involving  the  Catholic 
clergy—are matters of public import.  The signs certainly
convey  Westboro’s  position  on  those  issues,  in  a  manner 
designed,  unlike  the  private  speech  in  Dun  &  Bradstreet, 
to reach as broad a public audience as possible.  And even 
if  a  few  of  the  signs—such  as  “You’re  Going  to  Hell”  and 
“God  Hates  You”—were  viewed  as  containing  messages 
related  to  Matthew  Snyder  or  the  Snyders  specifically, 
that would not change the fact that the overall thrust and 
dominant  theme  of  Westboro’s  demonstration  spoke  to
broader public issues.

Apart  from  the  content  of  Westboro’s  signs,  Snyder
contends  that  the  “context”  of  the  speech—its  connection
with  his  son’s  funeral—makes  the  speech  a  matter  of
private  rather  than  public  concern.    The  fact  that  West-
boro  spoke  in  connection  with  a  funeral,  however,  cannot
by  itself  transform  the  nature  of  Westboro’s  speech. 
Westboro’s signs, displayed on public land next to a public