Local Family Fights Back After Offensive Graffiti Painted On Garage Door

By David Spunt

VILLAS, N.J., (CBS) -- A Cape May County police department is investigating a possible hate crime, after a family insists that someone wrote in graffiti "I'm Gay" on their garage door.

Erin DeLong notified the Lower Township Police department after noticing the black spray paint on her garage door at the end of July. DeLong has two daughters. Fourteen-year-old Emily is gay and 17-year-old Miranda is bisexual.

"They're good kids. They're friendly kids. To see someone go against them for who they are and who they love is awful," DeLong told Eyewitness News.

Hours after discovering the graffiti, the DeLong family quickly turned the negative into something positive. They painted the garage rainbow colors, and have gotten hundreds of positive responses from across the country.

Fourteen-year-old Emily DeLong told Eyewitness News she appreciates the positive comments and plans to keep the garage painted permanently. She had the following message for the person that painted the "I'm Gay" phrase on her garage door:

"What's your deal? Why? It's kind of dumb. Yeah, I'm gay. I get it. I tell people that. It wasn't a secret so you're gaining nothing," Emily DeLong said.