Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
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

Added By
Brett
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
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
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

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.

Related Tags

Houses Architecture Rainbow Color Lgbtq Homes

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. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Ahhting

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, evilgreentriangle, Michelle Cassidy, SemiruralYeti...

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • evilgreentriangle
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • SemiruralYeti
  • tnebesniak

Published

July 31, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • 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
Equality House
1200 SW Orleans St
Topeka, Kansas
United States
39.045664, -95.723149
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grave of Carrie Frances Kiene

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Huntoon Park Wren

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Great Mural Wall of Topeka

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Topeka

Topeka

Kansas

Places 6

Nearby Places

Grave of Carrie Frances Kiene

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Huntoon Park Wren

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Great Mural Wall of Topeka

Topeka, Kansas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Topeka

Topeka

Kansas

Places 6

Related Places

  • Cour Royale de Tiébélé.

    Nahouri, Burkina Faso

    Cour Royale de Tiébélé

    In this African village, the walls of the chief's compound are painted with beautiful traditional designs.

  • Michigan City, Indiana

    Century of Progress Homes

    These five houses were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

  • This house was transported piece-by-piece from the Huizhou region of China.

    Salem, Massachusetts

    Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home

    A rare 16-bedroom Qing Dynasty house re-erected on the campus of the Peabody Essex Museum. 

  • The Rainbow Crosswalk is paved with a familiar Art Deco pattern in colors chosen from Leonard Horowitz’s palette.

    Miami Beach, Florida

    The Rainbow Crosswalk

    This Ocean Drive crosswalk has been paved in rainbow colors to honor the LGBTQ+ community and the man who brought pastel to Miami Beach.

  • Alatskivi Castle

    Alatskivi, Estonia

    Alatskivi Castle

    A wealthy aristocratic family built this Disney-worthy, fairy-tale castle.

  • 9904 Colesville Road (Polychrome II)

    Silver Spring, Maryland

    Polychrome Historic District

    These five Art Deco homes were meant to solve the "small house problem."

  • Stone Mansion

    Alexandria, Virginia

    Stone Mansion

    Originally dubbed "Retirement" by the Navy Commodore who built it in 1780, this beautiful mansion is now the centerpiece of a suburban community park.

  • Roxbury, New York

    John Burroughs Woodchuck Lodge

    The Catskills retreat of naturalist writer John Burroughs.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.