The world learned a lesson about messing with with the LGBTQ+ community on Twitter the week of July 17th. It all started when Ken Ham, the founder of The Ark Encounter [1], tried and failed to reclaim the rainbow from the LGBTQ+ community. The Ark Encounter is a museum in Kentucky that boasts a gargantuan, life-size replica of Noah's Ark, the biblical boat that saved Noah and the entire animal and human population from extinction when God flooded the earth and wiped out pretty much everything. In order to take back the symbol — which, in Mr. Ham's eyes, belongs to God and no one else — Ham lit up the Ark Encounter museum with rainbow lights. On Twitter, he explained his motivation:

The @ArkEncounter [2] is lit permanently at night with a rainbow to remind the world that God owns the rainbow & is a sign of His covenant pic.twitter.com/U0dmKnXV2v [3]

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) July 18, 2017 [4]

The rainbow is a reminder God will never again judge the wickedness of man with a global Flood--next time the world will be judged by fire pic.twitter.com/K568yMnNsP [5]

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) July 18, 2017 [6]

Christians need to take back the rainbow as we do @ArkEncounter [7] -God owns it-He decreed it's a sign of His covenant with man after the Flood pic.twitter.com/cNR51zTbPX [8]

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) July 18, 2017 [9]

We now have the new permanent rainbow lights @ArkEncounter [10] so all can see it's God's rainbow & He determines its meaning in Genesis 6 pic.twitter.com/zdT0g8Jevp [11]

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) July 18, 2017 [12]

I know. It's a lot. Luckily for us, nothing happens on Twitter without people immediately co-opting it and turning it into a laughing stock. A similar thing happened in June, when the perplexing hashtag #HeterosexualPrideDay began trending and turned into a flood of hilarious tweets [13]. Almost immediately, the LGBTQ+ community embraced the rainbow-bathed replica of Noah's Ark. And so, #GayBoat was born. In the same way the Babadook became an unexpected LGBTQ+ legend [14] during Pride Month, #GayBoat also quickly achieved icon status. Twitter ignited with hilarious tweets about the newly out-and-proud ark.

gay boat lmao

— JuanPa (@jpbrammer) July 20, 2017 [15]

#gayboat [16] finally came out today but he's been dropping hints for years. congratulations on living your best life. pic.twitter.com/o7pKKNJw1i [17]

— Vinegar Mike (@VinegarMike) July 20, 2017 [18]

the babadook and the #GayBoat [19] are the lgbt icons we need and deserve

— gorgeous hag (@ashaggreyjoy) July 20, 2017 [20]

C'mon all of god's creatures, let's get SICK'NING pic.twitter.com/xCQxHnbKa0 [21]

— Adam (@adamjmoussa) July 20, 2017 [22]

LOVE this gay boat! You're doing great, Gay Boat. Stay fabulous! #gayboat [23] 🌈🌈🌈 https://t.co/0TQdxyH3Wr [24]

— Hoxton Hill (@HoxtonHill) July 20, 2017 [25]

I checked the gay agenda and boats are definitely gay pic.twitter.com/aIDjP6BqUt [26]

— Ashley (@ashcech) July 20, 2017 [27]

#gayboat [28] is the LGBTQ icon we need!

— drunk at vogue (@jersing) July 20, 2017 [29]

Gay boat, gay boat, we see you gay boat.#gayboat [30]#LoveIsLove [31] pic.twitter.com/UWnj5nakOg [32]

— Deb (@MsDaliborah) July 21, 2017 [33]

And #God [34] said "Behold! The first #GayCruise [35]! Now cometh one cometh all and singeth We Are Family!" #GayBoat [36] 🏳️‍🌈 https://t.co/Ng8Zy0UUl9 [37]

— Brittney Castillo (@casbrittney) July 21, 2017 [38]

I wanted to go to the #GayBoat [39] because I assumed the party would be EPIC but GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE with that $10 parking https://t.co/V1Ek8H8Joe [40]

— Crooked JRod ❄️ (@jrod_1011) July 20, 2017 [41]

We love you, #GayBoat. And we're so proud of your journey.