Aaron Jackson (activist)

Aaron Jackson
Born Destin, Florida
Nationality American
Occupation Founder of Planting Peace
Known for Equality House

Aaron Jackson is an American human rights and environmental activist.[1] Jackson was raised in Destin, Florida and attended Valencia College until 2002.[2][3] After backpacking around the world, he interned at The Homeless Voice, an advocacy group in Davie, Florida,[2] and became director of the COSAC Homeless Shelter.[4] The first orphanages he opened in Haiti were established using money he made as a golf caddy while living in a homeless shelter in order to fund the orphanages.[1] Jackson was named a CNN Hero in 2007 after leading a campaign to deworm children in Haiti.[3][4][5]

In 2004, Jackson founded Planting Peace, a nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBT issues and runs six orphanages in Haiti and India.[2][6] In 2012, he purchased a home across from Westboro Baptist Church after looking at the neighborhood around Westboro on Google Earth. He painted the exterior of the house with the colors of the pride flag in 2013 and it became the "Equality House."[7][8][9] Through Planting Peace, Jackson placed a billboard in Kim Davis' hometown after she denied marriage licenses to same sex couples in 2015.[10] In 2016, Jackson traveled to Antarctica to place a pride flag deeming it "the world's first LGBT-friendly continent."[3][11]

References

  1. 1 2 Eric Alan Barton (July 21, 2005). "Saint Aaron". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Joseph Erbentraut (October 28, 2015). "What The Equality House Can Teach Us About Making Societal Change". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Deirdra Funcheon (March 22, 2016). "Antarctica Declared the First LGBT-Friendly Continent by Aaron Jackson of Planting Peace". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Dylan Bouscher (November 11, 2014). "Aaron Jackson, CNN Hero, Distributes Pizza to Homeless Outside City Hall". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ Michael J. Mooney (January 15, 2009). "Healing Haiti". Miami New Times. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  6. ↑ Lorena Ruiz (March 23, 2013). "Meet Aaron Jackson, prideful neighbor of Westboro Baptist Church". NBC News. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  7. ↑ Mackenzie Young (March 21, 2013). "Man Turns House Across the Street From Westboro Baptist Church Into Gay Pride Flag". Time. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Eyder Peralta (March 19, 2013). "House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Painted With Gay Pride Rainbow Colors". NPR. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  9. ↑ James Nichols (December 27, 2013). "21 Of The Biggest LGBT Allies of 2013". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ Tanya Basu (September 13, 2015). "Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Mocked by Billboard in Her Hometown". Time. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ David Badash (March 22, 2016). "Antarctica Has Now Been Declared the World's First LGBT Friendly Continent". The New Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
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