SaskatoonA Yorkton, Sask., family say they were surprised when they woke up last week to find homophobic slurs spray-painted across their home, garage and shed.‘The best revenge is we’re living well’: Sam WillemsAishwarya Dudha · CBC News · Posted: Aug 18, 2025 2:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 18Becky Willems and her children decided to paint over hateful anti LQBTQ+ words with flowers, rainbows and sunshine. (Becky Willems)A Yorkton, Sask., family say they were surprised when they woke up last week to find homophobic slurs spray-painted across their home, garage and shed.But instead of scrubbing it away, Becky Willems and her son decided to paint over the hateful words with flowers, rainbows and a bold message.”I don’t feel like I was super upset right away,” Willems said in an interview on CBC’s Saskatoon Morning. “My first instinct was to try and make it so that my kids weren’t too upset.”Yorkton is about 175 kilometres northeast of Regina.The family had displayed pride flags in their front yard and said they are proud to be a family that is openly part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. They believe the flags led to them being targeted with the graffiti.Sam said the incident just reinforces the idea that the best revenge is living well. (Becky Willems)Sam Willems, one of Becky’s sons, said he refused to let the slurs bring him down and decided to fight back.”When you just give in and become sad from it, then you give the person who graffitied your house what they want. And instead I didn’t want it to bother us, and instead be a good thing for us,” Sam said.”Now we’re going to paint for the day. I’m going to make a rainbow sidewalk.”The family displays pride flags in their front yard. Last week, those flags made them a target. Instead of removing the hateful graffiti, they decided to fight back with love. (Becky Willems)The community also rallied — donating flowers, money for security cameras and messages of support.”By the end of the day, so uplifted and supported and definitely not alone. We felt like we were surrounded by friends and people who cared about us, and people we wouldn’t have even expected or thought of took the time to reach out,” Becky said.Sam said three rainbows appeared in the sky while they painted rainbows on the garage, as if the universe was showing its support. (Becky Willems)As the family finished their artwork, the sky lit up with not one, but three rainbows.”It was wild. Almost spiritual. It was pretty crazy, like the universe showing a sign that it’s behind you as well,” Sam said.”The best revenge is we’re living well.”ABOUT THE AUTHORAishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca With files Saskatoon Morning
Yorkton, Sask., family turns homophobic graffiti into rainbow artwork
