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All the United States Kansas Topeka Equality House
AO Edited

Equality House

A rainbow-colored house promotes LGBTQ rights across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church.

Topeka, Kansas

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The Equality House before it was remodeled.   Ahhting / Atlas Obscura User
The house's outside entrance.   Ahhting / Atlas Obscura User
The Equality House, which is across the street from Westboro Baptist Church.   Polylerus/CC BY-SA 4.0
Mott House, next door to the Equality House   Tony Webster/CC BY 2.0
Donation box outside   Tony Webster/CC BY 2.0
Westboro Baptist Church   SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Westboro Baptist Church   SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
With a second house painted like the transgender community's flag   evilgreentriangle / Atlas Obscura User
Messages of support from allies written on the side of the house   evilgreentriangle / Atlas Obscura User
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Located directly across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church—a notorious hate group that targets the LGBTQ community—a house sports the rainbow colors of the gay pride flag. The boldly colored Equality House is a headquarters of the non-profit Planting Peace, acting as a visual reminder of the group's commitment to LGBTQ rights.

Planting Peace uses the house as the epicenter for its human rights initiatives. The house received its colorful exterior in 2013 after a military veteran agreed to paint it with the colors symbolic of gay pride. Anyone is encouraged to visit—up to 150 people stop by on any given day. It's a welcoming, comforting spot for many within a community that is so often antagonized. 

However, not everyone supports the brightly colored abode. In 2016, it was vandalized with bullet holes and spray painted slurs. The Westboro Baptist Church has even gone so far as to hold protested events on its lawn. But that hasn’t stopped Planting Peace from continuing to add a touch of tolerance to the neighborhood.

In 2016, the organization bought the neighboring house and painted it with the blue, pink, and white colors of the transgender flag. In March 2019, it was renamed the Mott House to honor Stephanie Mott, a transgender activist from Kansas.

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Know Before You Go

The Equality House can be found in Topeka, Kansas directly across from the Westboro Baptist Church. Visitors are free to come by the house, take photos, enjoy the community garden, and tour the property. 

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  • breaingram profile photo breaingram
  • E evilgreentriangle profile photo evilgreentriangle
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  • T tnebesniak profile photo tnebesniak

Published

July 31, 2017

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  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ko-ta-pu-james-bond-island
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/equality-house
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/03/21/rainbow-house-fights-westboro-baptist-with-love/?utm_term=.f1436c822bfb
  • http://cjonline.com/news-local/2013-03-19/wbcs-new-neighbors-paint-house-gay-pride-flag

Related Tags

Houses Architecture Rainbow Color Lgbtq Homes
Equality House
1200 SW Orleans St
Topeka, Kansas
United States
39.045664, -95.723149
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