The adamantly homophobic Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) has said it will picket the concerts of boy band One Direction, deeming them “fag-enabling”, because they “think it’s funny… to grab each other’s asses on stage”.

The church posted the notice on its website that it was to picket the concert of the British band, when they appear in Kansas City, the home of the church.

Members of the church were banned from entering the UK in 2009 because of their practices of picketing the funerals of the military, mass shootings, terror attacks and the victims of natural disasters.

“WBC will picket this perverted pop boy band from the UK who claim to be the world’s #1 band… Indeed, they are a perfect representation of this filthy world and the sin-chasing, fag-enabling, God-hating, Christ-rejecting UK who has banned WBC from preaching within her borders.

“These freaks and their fans think it’s funny for these five perverts to grab each other’s asses on stage… They glamorize sin and make a mock of God’s standards. Their one purpose is to encourage the youth of this generation to pursue every lust their evil hearts can imagine.”

BuzzFeed reports that a Kansas City based fan group for One Direction is mobilising its members to counter the protest by wearing raibow colours, and carrying signs.

“If you’re a Directioner who supports gay rights, soldiers, or is against the hate that this ‘church’ espouses, bring a sign, wear rainbow colors, or find other creative ways to show them that those ‘values’ are not welcome in KC or anywhere!”, the group posted.

Many have noted the passionate support many One Direction fans, or “Directioners”, have for the band, and have questioned the WBC’s motives for causing friction at the concert.

Last week the church took umbrage at a pink lemonade stand run by a 5-year-old in the name of an anti-bullying campaign, and told her she would “burn in hell”.