Lesbian couple paints house in rainbow colours to troll anti-gay neighbours who harassed them
The beautiful rainbow house (Sherry Lau/Facebook)
A lesbian couple has turned their house into a rainbow to show their homophobic neighbours they are gay, they are proud, and they won’t be going anywhere.
Lisa Licata and Sherry Lau live in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania and have issues with their next-door neighbours Ron Makay and Iolanda Wieczorkowski.
According to the same-sex couple, the neighbours have been harassing them for years. They said Makay has been calling them homophobic slurs such as “dykes” and “homo” ever since he found out the pair was married, local news outlet WTAE Pittsburgh reported.
The dispute escalated to the point of violence, when Makay allegedly shot the couple’s dog with an air rifle in July. Police charged him with animal cruelty. While he did not comment on the matter, his attorney told the media outlet he denies the accusation.
The dog is doing ok and a court appearance on the case is scheduled for September 20, Licata told PinkNews.
The couple’s paint job isn’t their first attempt at making a strong statement to their neighbours. Last year, they painted a fence separating the two properties in rainbow colours.
(Sherry Lau/Facebook)
But the neighbour continued harassing the couple. “Our rainbow fence really ticked them off. Initially we were only going to do the fence, but when he complained to our municipality about our rainbow fence, and the hate continued, we decided to go big and do the side of the house that faces them,” Licata told PinkNews via a messaging app.
Some of the couple’s friends came to help out and the whole side of Licata and Lau’s house facing their anti-gay neighbours turned into a rainbow on Saturday (August 25), after two weeks of work. “We are gay and we are here to stay,” Lau wrote on Facebook, sharing a work-in-progress picture of the paint job.
“Love is love! If our neighbour would have gotten to know us they would have seen we are really nice people. Instead they passed judgement,” Licata told PinkNews.
Several people complimented the couple on their idea and offered to contribute to the cost of the paints.
“Hi Ladies, I don’t know you but I sure am proud to call you my neighbors. I also live in the Penn Hills and you have done a great paint job. What a wonderful idea. If you have a go fund me page I’d like to donate some money towards paint supplies. More power to you,” read one comment from Sheena Smith, ending with the hashtag “LoveThyNeighbor.”
A woman from Florida also expressed support for the initiative “If you start a GoFundMe toward the cost of paint there are a bunch of us who would throw down some coin. You deserve a safe home and a safe neighbourhood. And a fabulous paint job! Sending lots of love from Florida,” Adrienne Margaret wrote.
Licata told Mashable she and Lau were grateful for the community support. Their neighbours, on the other hand, have not expressed their feelings about the rainbow house. “The neighbours have been quiet because they’ve been told by their attorney to be quiet,” she said.
This article was updated with comments from Lisa Licata.
