Real-life heroes and heroines don’t come along very often. 5-year-old Jayden Sink of Topeka, Kansas is one of mine. Here’s why:
The little girl set up a lemonade stand to raise money for charity. According to This is True, Jayden told her Dad she wanted to put her little enterprise at “the most beautiful house in the world”. To her, that was the Equality House, painted with the rainbow flag. She asked the owners and they gave her permission.
Equality House happens to be across the street from the famed Westboro Baptist Church. You’ve likely heard of them. They go to the funerals of gay people and shout things like “God hates fags!” to the family of the deceased. They’re disgusting. Jonathan Phelps, son of Westboro founder Fred Phelps Sr., called Jayden’s little lemonade stand “a great preaching opportunity. 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.”
Jayden did brisk business and Church members harassed her, trying to get her to leave. The child stood her ground. She had a goal of $500 to reach and she was determined to stay no matter what these grown-ups yelled at her.
A neighbour who witnessed the confrontation said Jayden was “unafraid and unfazed” by the taunts and accusations from WBC members. Not only did she stay, she raised more than $22,000 for her charity that has nothing to do with being gay. Rather, it’s a group that educates children about bullying. I’d say they’ve found their new spokesperson, wouldn’t you?