But this is no ordinary house, and these are not your ordinary house colours.
Jackson, one of the founders of a multi-pronged charity called Planting Peace, painted this particular house with gay pride rainbow colours.
He did this as a counter protest to the anti-gay beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church.
That church just happens to be across the street from the house his charity purchased recently for $83,000 (U.S.).
“I didn’t do this to start a war,” he told the Star on Wednesday morning before going on CNN.
Jackson, a 31-year-old community college dropout, has been concentrating his efforts until now on opening orphanages, providing de-worming medications to poverty-stricken areas around the world and promoting rainforest conservation.
He said he wanted to get involved in gay activism, but didn’t know how.
Jackson said that he was motivated by the actions of a 9-year-old boy last year.
On Mother’s Day weekend in Topeka last year, supporters of the tiny Westboro Baptist Church staged a small demonstration featuring their signs that say “God hates homosexuals”.
Josef Miles had his own response, holding up a hand-written notepad declaring that “God hates no one.”
Jackson read about this and got curious about this church and where it was located.
He searched on Google Earth and saw a for-sale sign on the front lawn of the house across the street.
He said he knew then that he wanted to buy the house and make his pro-gay statement by painting the house in rainbow colours.
The house was painted on Tuesday, attracting thousands of people to the small street and sparking international attention.
“I knew it would be big through social media but I don’t think any of us knew it would go global,” Jackson said.
“We are very surprised by the local community response. Thousands of people stop by our house, take our picture and give us the high-five. There are traffic jams. It’s like everyone is going to a sporting event.”
He said his mother, who is an artist, created the design for the house.
“Two staff members are here with me. We hired a company to come in and paint this. We also put a rainbow flag up along with a U.S. flag.”
The church across the street has taken notice.
One of members of the family who started the church in 1955 approached the house on Tuesday to snap photos and record video.
“Shirley (Phelps-Roper) came over to the front yard and was taking pictures,” Jackson said.
“We hollered at her and asked if she liked our colours, and she said she did. I’m sure she was being sarcastic.”
The house is being named Equality House as part of the charity’s campaign to spread equality throughout the world.
Jackson said Equality House will be staffed by volunteers who will use the location to support equality and launch an anti-bullying initiatives through fundraising efforts.
As for now, the weather is too cold in Kansas to finish the paint job in the next day or so, Jackson said.
“We still need two more coats, but it’s too cold to paint today. But we’re not going anywhere.”
Jackson said he has seen two sides of Phelps-Roper’s personality since he first met her.
In front of a television camera, he said, she turns “vile.”
However, his first contact with her was quite pleasant, he said.
“She was very sweet. She said, ‘Hi, how are you? How’s your day?’ She cracked a little joke and we both shared a laugh.”
Jackson said he “plans on treating them with respect” and hopes the church members respond in kind.
Asked if his efforts can somehow steer the church away from its vocal condemnation of gays, Jackson said: “That would be nice.”
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a 55-year-old lawyer who is the chief spokesperson for the independent church, did not respond to a request for an interview from the Star.
However, she was active on Twitter in the hours leading up to the house painting event and after.
“Pride goeth before destruction, & an haughty spirit before a fall,” she tweeted along with a photo of the house.
Later, the church sent an emailed response, thanking “God” for the rainbow house. Here is a segment of that response:
“Think about it! This is not a novel idea – there are hundreds of similarly-painted houses around the world – the ONLY reason why this one is a story is because of WHERE it is! … God’s word doesn’t change, just because ‘culture has moved on.’ It’s not okay to be gay, it never was ok to be gay, and it never will be ok to be gay.”
Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Curtis Rush
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