Rainbow crossing defaced with violent message
Shoppers carry bags across a Pride-themed, rainbow-coloured pedestrian crossing for London Pride 2019. (David Cliff/NurPhoto via Getty)
A rainbow crossing was defaced in Calgary, Canada, with a message inciting violence against the LGBT+ community.
“Shoot a f*****” had been written across the permanent crossing, although the culprit had misspelled the slur.
The graffiti was found and reported to police on Sunday, August 18, at around 7.30am.
Nolan Hill, who posted a picture of the graffiti on Twitter to raise awareness, told Canadian newspaper The Star: “It’s frustrating. We’ve seen lots of progress for the LGBTQ community. The fact we even have permanent Pride crosswalks is great.
“But when these sorts of things happen, especially when they’re really violent messages that are used – that’s when it’s especially concerning.”
Rainbow crossings at the intersection of Orange and Broadway in Long Beach, California. (Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty)
Rainbow crossing vandalism being investigated as a hate crime.
Detective Shawn Rupchan told The Star that the defacement will be investigated as a hate crime.
Twitter users who responded to Hill’s post were supportive of the LGBT+ community and angry about the vandalism.
One wrote: “Disgusting, but I’m not surprised that the backwards moron who wrote this couldn’t spell it right.”
Others offered to help remove the anti-gay graffiti, with one writing: “Do you guys need volunteers to help clean up the vandalism? I’m pretty good with a brush and am in Calgary at least two days a week.”
Down on Stephen Ave. talking to people about the Pride crosswalk being spray painted again and that’s when these two show up and start writing messages of love on the flag. Messages that read “You are loved” and “Be Brave”. More at 6pm on @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/VEryLx2M5S
— Josh Ritchie (@GlobalJoshR) August 18, 2019
The graffiti was promptly removed.
Later that evening, a reporter from Global Calgary posted on Twitter that people were spotted writing messages of love on the rainbow crossing, including “Be brave” and “You are loved”.
What is believed to be the UK’s first permanent Pride crossing was unveiled in London on Friday.
