Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, US, is considered to be an extremist and anti-gay religious group by Southern Poverty Law Center. In response to the anti-LGBTQ+ protests held by the institution in the past, a man named Aaron Jackson purchased a home across the opposite street of the Church in the year 2012 and painted it in the colours of the Pride flag.
Aaron is the founder of the non-profit organisation, Planting Trees. He has initiated many campaigns to support the environment and the LGBT community, and buying Topeka House was one among them.
As the controversial church claims ‘homosexuality a sin’, Aaron bought the house to register his opposition against the hateful belief of the organisation. He bought the house in 2012 at $81,400 and moved in with his colleague. Later, in 2013, he got the house painted in the bright ‘rainbow’ colours and dubbed it as ‘Equality House’.
The house stands as the symbol of equality and continues to draw visitors, said Aaron. It receives around 150 visitors on an average on daily basis. But numbers have dropped down to 20 and 40 due to the pandemic.
“Anytime anyone sees a photo of the Westboro Baptist Church, forevermore, they’ll see a Pride house. That was my main intent," he said.
He also revealed that originally he thought the foundation would sell the Equality house in few months and but now it serves as the headquarters for the organisation. He hoped that when LGBTQ+ kids see the house, they would see themselves as equal to all. They should not feel less than anybody else, even though the people like the Westboro Baptist Church preach that they’re somehow less than others.
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