The bill was introduced in large part to combat the campaign by Fred Phelps from the Westboro Baptist Church, of Topeka, Kansas.
Phelps and his supporters regularly demonstrated at the funerals of American service members who were killed in the war in Iraq, grounded on the belief that the deaths are divine retribution for social tolerance of homosexuality.
Ron Paul (R-TX), David Wu (D-OR) and Barney Frank (D-MA) voted against the Act, opposing it on civil liberties and constitutional grounds.
[3] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposed the legislation, saying that the Act was unconstitutional and that it would not stand up in court.
"[4] The American Civil Liberties Union prevailed in a 2007 lawsuit challenging a similar state law in Missouri.