TOPEKA, Kan. —
Planting Peace has waged a war against Westboro Baptist Church. It's weapon? A paintbrush.
The non-profit environmental conservation agency — which raises money for such endeavors as de-worming children in Haiti, according to its Facebook Page — has purchased a home in Topeka, Kan., across the street from the infamous church and painted it the colors of the gay pride flag.
Westboro is known to picket funerals of slain soldiers and other victims of tragedy and preach a message of hate against the gay community.
Members of the church picketed the funeral of Enid resident Chris Hake in 2008.
Planting Peace came across the property for sale on a whim of its founder, Aaron Jackson, when he was researching the church after seeing a young child countering the its homophobic message with a sign that read, "God Hates No One," according to the Huffington Post.
"I didn't know anything about the church or where they were located, but that story kept popping up. And one night I wondered, Where is this church? I got on Google Earth, and I was 'walking down the road,' and I did a 360 view. And I saw a 'For Sale' sign sitting in the front yard of a house. Right away it hit me, Oh my gosh, I could buy a house in front of the WBC! And immediately I thought: And I'm going to paint that thing the color of the pride flag."
Since the paint was applied to Equality House, the group has received a lot of honks from passing cars, the OK from the city of Topeka that it is not violating an ordinances, and thank-yous from a soldier who walked up to the door with a personal message, according to Planting Peace's Facebook Page.
"U.S. veterans keep coming to the door & thanking us. We are united against bigotry. Out of Many, Come One."
Organization officials also posted, "Shirley Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church just waved & said she loved the colors... So we all blew her kisses."
Details provided by The Enid, OK, News and Eagle.
Online Only
Related Photos
-
The Enid, OK, News and Eagle
The Democrat welcomes comments. Inappropriate language or comments outside our standards will be removed. No guest or anonymous comments allowed.
Non-profit gets back at Westboro church with rainbow house
- Online Only
-
-
VIDEO: Tumblr sold to Yahoo! for $1.1 billion
Yahoo! has purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion, hoping to compete more effectively with sites like Google and Facebook.
-
LIVE BLOG: Massive tornado hits south of OKC
A massive tornado touched down Monday afternoon in Moore, Okla., just south of Oklahoma City. Follow live coverage of the aftermath of the storm.
-
What you need to know about preparing for tornadoes
Tornado survivors and seasoned observers suggest people do two simple things to prepare for tornadoes: Know where to take shelter, and move quickly when the time comes.
-
VIDEO: Man hands out Abercrombie clothes on Skid Row in bid to shame brand
Anger has mounted online against clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch due to comments made by its chief executive and its strategy of not making women's clothing in any size above large.
-
VIDEO: Deer gets on, off city bus
A CamTran bus picked up an unscheduled passenger on Tuesday evening – a white-tailed deer.
-
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
-
VIDEO: One by one, homes in Calif. subdivision sinking
Scott and Robin Spivey had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with their home when cracks began snaking across their walls in March. Within two weeks their property dropped 10 feet below the street.
-
How to get the most out of your air conditioner this summer
Experts say preventative maintenance on your air conditioner can save you hundreds of dollars.
-
Feces contaminates 58 percent of public swimming pools
Human feces taints more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.
-
VIDEO: Bombing suspect allegedly wrote confession in boat
Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev allegedly penned a note inside the boat where he was found hiding from authorities, explaining his rationale for his part in the deadly explosion.
- More Online Only Headlines
-
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
