The Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for themselves by protesting at all kinds of events from the Super Bowl to the funeral of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman to the statehouses of any state allowing same-sex marriage. Despite their history it still came as a shock when the group chose their latest target; a 5-year-old girl running a lemonade stand, according to the Huffington Post.
Jayden Sink, along with her father Jon, sold lemonade in front of the Equality House, a rainbow painted house owned by a non-profit called Planting Peace that supports gay rights and other equality issues, which happens to be across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church compound. The Sinks chose the location based on wanting to help the charity, according to KCTV.
"Jayden and I went out there to raise money for Planting Peace, to spread love, to spread compassion," Sink said. "Our mission was not to stand up to Westboro Baptist Church."
Regardless of their intentions the Sink's lemonade stand riled up the members of the church. Westboro members were pacing on the sidewalk outside of their compound and calling police to attempt to have the lemonade stand shut down, police refused to respond. Church members were also yelling at people who were purchasing lemonade, according to KCTV.
"She was so awesome," Davis Hammet, a resident of the Equality House said about Jayden Sink. "She was such a sweetheart. She was right in front of this hate group. She was unfazed and unafraid, and they are so very vile and rude to people."
A sign outside of the church's compound was directed at the lemonade stand. It read, "F*gs & Enablers all burn in Hell. Lemonade won't cool any tongues."
Jonathan Phelps, son of Westboro founder Fred Phelps Sr., was excited that the lemonade stand gave the church a "great preaching opportunity," according to KCTV.
"Because every time you tell the story about the lemonade, you have to tell about the eternal hatred and wrath of God towards the impenitent sinner, and the popular sin of the day is the sin of sodomy," Phelps told KCTV.
Hammet was amazed that the church would direct their wrath at such a young girl having a simple lemonade stand.
"Jayden is 5 ½ years old," Hammet said. "She was having a lemonade stand for charity and they are saying nasty things. I pity them. We've not angry at them. We don't hate them. We feel bad for them."
Jayden's fundraising effort was put online after her story started to go viral over the weekend. As of today she has raised more than $20,000 for Planting Peace, according to the Huffington Post.
If you want to donate to her cause you can do so at this link.
