8-year-old trans girl raises enough to build Transgender House opposite Westboro Baptist Church
An 8-year-old trans girl raised enough funds to open a Transgender House across from the Westboro Baptist Church.
On Sunday, Planting Peace painted their new Transgender House in the colours of the trans flag next to the rainbow-painted Equality House they have been running since 2013.
The two houses are opposite the notoriously anti-LGBT hate group Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in Topeka, Kansas.
The WBC is known for picketing the funerals of servicemen, as well as being a little too obsessed with the bedroom habits of LGBT people.
The new house – which is a welcome haven for all trans people – was made possible with the help of 8-year-old trans girl Avery Jackson.
Though the Equality House is painted in the colours of the trans flag for a week every year, Avery also wanted a special place for trans individuals, where they could go all year long.
“I loved the rainbow [Equality] House when it was painted like the transgender flag,” Avery said. “I felt so happy and proud to be transgender.
“I wish people weren’t afraid of transgender people. I’m not a monster. I’m not scary. I just want to be treated like every other human.”
When a developer, Martin Dunn, heard about the fundraiser, he offered Avery and Planting Peace $70,000 (£52,000) to build the house of their dreams.
Explaining why he donated to the cause, father of three Mr Dunn said that “if I had a kid that was transgender I would want a place that would celebrate them and accept them.
“That’s just not available in this country and it should be.
“The idea that it would be across from a hate group was also really appealing,” he added.
Just this month, a small number of WBC followers – who have a long history of disrupting funerals with their ‘God Hates Fags’ signs – protested the service of Orlando victim Christopher Leinonen, though they were stopped in their tracks by a group of people dressed as guardian angels.
A 12-year-old trans kid in the UK had a rock thrown at his head as he was bullied for his gender identity.
