Lady Gaga vs. Westboro Baptist Church

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Lady Gaga, who has become a target of anti-gay activists, is striking back with her fans' help.

The performer, talking to her "little monster" fans, left a note on her Facebook warning them that protesters were expected at her St. Louis, Mo., concert on Saturday.

While she has been protested before, she wrote, "this group of protesters are hate criminals and preach using lewd and violent language and imagery that I wish I [could] protect you all from. Their message is of hatred and divisiveness, but inside at the Monsterball we preach love and unity."

The New York Daily News reported that Lady Gaga was referring to the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, designated a hate group by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its members picket funerals of soldiers who died in Iraq and carry racist and homophobic signs. The group also picketed at the funeral of murdered gay student Matthew Shepard. 

MTV News said about a half a dozen Westboro protesters showed up but were outnumbered by Gaga supporters toting signs of their own, some with funny messages like "God Hates Figs."

It wasn't exactly what Gaga had suggested.

"Do not interact with them," she had written on Facebook. "Do not respond to any of their provocation." She said instead to "in your heart just pray for them."

She shared her appreciation later in the evening on Twitter.

"Tonight love and hate met in St. Louis," she tweeted after the concert. "And love outnumbered the hate, in poetic thousands. Hate left. But love stayed. + Together, we sang."

The singer's advocacy has included partnering with Virgin Mobile, which donates $20,000 per show to a charity that helps homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual youth, according to Rolling Stone .

The Daily News said the church had targeted Gaga earlier this year with fliers saying "God hates 'Lady' Gaga."