Equality House celebrates anniversary with kiss outside Westboro church

TOPEKA, Kan. — Equality House, located across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church compound, home to anti-gay extremists famous for their “Gods Hate Fags” protests, celebrated its second anniversary over the weekend with one big smooch.

As part of the celebration, guests posed for a “Plant one for Peace” photo where all types of people kissed in front of the Westboro church.

“We did this to remind the world what we stand for: individuals celebrating and taking pride in who they are, and never being afraid to show acts of love, even in the face of bigotry,” said Nikki Sloup of Planting Peace.

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“Beyond having all walks of life participate … LGBTQ couples, straight couples, and families with parents kissing their children, we even had ex-members of the WBC participate, with one member who recently left the church sharing a kiss with an Equality House staff member,” said Sloup.

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Equality House is an initiative of Planting Peace, a progressive non-profit organization focused primarily on humanitarian aid and environmental initiatives, LGBTQ rights advocacy, a network of orphanages and safe havens, and conservation effort in the rainforests of Peru.

The group purchased a house across the street from Westboro in 2013, giving it a new paint job that pays homage to the rainbow flag, a symbol of LGBT pride.

Equality House serves as the resource center for all Planting Peace human rights and bullying prevention initiatives.