Baltimore resident Julie Baker’s backyard decorations caused the internet to light up. Jeremy McKeen has the interview.
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If only there was a popular religion or philosophy out there to teach people how to love their neighbors.
Baltimore, MD resident Julie Baker was recently scolded by an unknown neighbor for lighting up her yard with rainbow-colored Mason jars full of candles spelling the words “Love” and “Ohana.”
“I did embrace the weirdness of it, because that is who I am, and I figured my friends would laugh and we would be using the term “relentlessly gay” with each other for a few months, laughing about it. I had no idea that it could possibly become what it is,” she said Friday morning in an interview with Good Men Project columnist Jeremy McKeen.
After Julie’s friend posted the note online, it took off, spawning a GoFundMe account to raise funds for simply decorating the yard with more rainbows. Three days in, she’s raised more than six times her initial asking donation of $5,000:
I opened my door, and found a note from my neighbor…They informed me that the neighborhood is “christian” and has “children” and asked me to stop being “relentlessly gay”….
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeNeedless to say… I need more rainbows… Many, many more rainbows….
So, I am starting this fundraiser so I can work to make my Home even More “relentlessly gay” If we go high enough, I will see if I can get a Rainbow Roof!
Because my invisible relentlessly gay rainbow dragon should live up there in style!
Put simply, I am a widow and the mother of four children, my youngest in high school and I WILL NOT Relent to Hatred. Instead, I will battle it with whimsy and beauty and laughter and love, wrapped around my home, yard and family!!!
Thanks for your relentlessly gay support!
Relentlessly!!!
The large outpouring of support for her fundraising page (and now website) has left her “blinky” although she loves that “a negative is being turned into a positive and embraced, and used to feed joy.”
Baker is a mother, artist, and aids in animal rescue and work with the homeless. So when the “stupid letter” showed up, “I posted it to my friends–I kept my friends list small and private. I’m actually a pretty private person, even though I love color and happily have rainbows everywhere. (Facebook friend Maeve Brigid) shared it to her friends, who are also sweet wonderful people, and honest to mercy, I never thought this would leave the small circle of friends and family we all have.”
And what about the “Relentlessly Gay” GoFundMe page? Baker says, “the… (page) started as more tongue in cheek, I figured my friends would get a eyebrow raised (or) chuckle from the ludicrous note, because it was just so weird, and I am used to weird. It was childish and disturbing and made no sense, especially since the point of contention was so trivial. I’m still trying to process everything that has been happening.”
The LOVE and OHANA candles she originally created to light up her back yard still mean as much as they originally did, and stay as a message to her neighbors (yes, all of them) and to Baltimore as well. “(Those) words mean so much to me,” she says, “(they were) mostly for myself and my family but figured if people drove by and it made heir hearts feel good, then it was a good thing.”
And that original letter from “A Concerned Home Owner” who took offense to her lights? Julie still has no idea who it came from, “It was weird, it was a weird weird letter. That is why I shared it with my friends…I did embrace the weirdness of it, because that is who I am.”
Julie is supported by her friends and daughters, who are “supportive and strong and amazing…they are confident and have a quirky sense of humor and a great attitude and know how to laugh at the ridiculous. I am so proud of them and who they are.” She also now has the backing of thousands of online fans across the world, as this story has reached several continents.
And yes, her candles are still up.
Photos courtesy of Julie Baker.
This story cannot be more fake. The “hate” letter has the same strange capitalization errors as her posts on facebook. For an example see here http://i.imgur.com/DCcxKrM.jpg
Julie has been through a lot and she’s helped so many. The fact that this person decided to try and control her and make himself bigger in his own ego truly ticks me off. She’s probably done several things to help this man that sent this letter and he thinks he has the right to force his will on her… No I don’t know who it is nor do I know why they did it for sure. It’s just from the tone of the note it feels like it’s a guy who wants her to let him control her….. That… Read more »
@Lisa Ah hahahahahahah it’s already been proven that she wrote the letter herself and conned hundreds of people out of all that money. As a side note though, I think YOU might have some issues about guys controlling you. Therapy might be of help hon.
I’ve had a smile on my face ever since I’ve started talking to juli. She’s so positive and embraces life and love. To all the haters, learn from Julie. We need more like her. Love ya Julie.