Gay gnome

The silent protest is still ongoing. On TikTok, Bennet-Martins has hosted giveaways and competitions, with proceeds going towards helping LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine and trans youth in the U.S. 

“For Ukraine, I had a friend of mine design a shirt and then 100% of the profits went to a charity that was geared to helping get LGBTQ people out of Ukraine and into safe houses.

“You can buy a flag and you can hang signs up, but it’s really hard to get mad at a garden gnome with eyelashes,” Bennet-Martins laughs. And then they have like a little bio of things, their likes and dislikes. I think I have like 675K views on that. “I just started painting all of my garden gnomes so that if she was talking to someone else, and referring to us as those dykes, they would know exactly who she’s talking about.

Looking for the perfect housewarming gift or a fun addition to your own home decor? It was literally 60 seconds of me trying to put this eyelash on and overnight it just blew up. “I’m going to do one charity a month to go to whichever state needs the most help. “I have done a lot of custom ones: they have special tattoos for their partners or they say ‘This is their dog, can you put a dog on the back of the shirt?’”

Some people also keep in touch to share their gnome’s adventures after going to their new homes, which Bennet-Martins finds particularly satisfying.

These playful figures are sure to delight recipients and add a touch of personality to any space. She didn’t expect to go viral initially, but feels the popularity of her content makes sense — as her diverse cohort ensures that there’s a gnome for everyone of any race, gender, or orientation.

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You know, this one’s a little mischievous—if you’re missing a sock, he’s probably got it—or this one likes to stash candy places.”

Custom orders are available too for those who want even more personalization.

Where can I get one?’ So then I made a couple and people started buying them.” Bennet-Martins now has over 58,000 followers and 695,000 likes on the platform.

“They all come with personalities,” she explains.

Bennet-Martins releases new gnomes monthly on “adoption days.” She chooses to frame the business this way because just like adopting a pet, each gnome becomes a member of the family and has their own special quirks and features.

Made from durable materials and weather-resistant finishes, our gnomes are built to withstand the elements and keep your outdoor decor looking great all year round in the grass. I did one to protect trans youth and I had that up for a couple of months and then all of the proceeds for that went to a specific charity as well,” she explains.

People were just like, ‘Oh, do you sell these? “We were talking to a neighbor and I don’t necessarily think she’s homophobic, I think she’s just ignorant, but she was talking about these other women that lived in the complex that she does not like and she kept calling them dykes.” Gathering together her existing gnome collection, Bennet-Martins got to work making them as gay as possible.