Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Ronnie Jame's Dio's Public Memorial

Fred Phelps worked as a civil rights attorney in the 60s.

As SN said before, he was. As to why he helped get civil rights for people of color and now is doing this, it's because the two causes are night and day.

Being a different race isn't a sin (according to the Bible), homosexuality is. Specifically gays, lesbianism isn't actually mentioned, just assumed.

I don't agree with his tactics or his beliefs about the ramifications of homosexuality on America as opposed to other [sins], but this is why he can help one minority and not another.
 
Actually, now that I think about it, the solution to the protest is pretty clear: blast Dio-Sabbath, Rainbow, and Dio so loud the WBC fucks run away (or at least are drowned out).