I hope who ever did this gets caught, publicly named and punished to the full extent of the law. No doubt in my mind.
OK….the fact that spray paint was used might be a clue here. Carrying a can of spray paint in the downtown core is not unheard of. Walk around the area and you can see many examples of this practice. There is a lot of graffiti with, as far as I know, no arrests.
I believe there are three possible explanations as to who may have done this:
- Someone walked down to that business and spray painted that poster at that particular business because they are not fans of Drag Shows. Is it hate? Hard to say but lets say that poster was targeted. The perpetrator then left the scene still carrying the spray can. Motive “hate”.
- The person/persons was/were walking down Cumberland Street with a spray can looking for things to spray paint. Signs, posters, walls…whatever. The person/persons saw the poster and spray painted a derogatory remark on it. Thought it was funny. No hate intended. Crime of opportunity. No motive.
- A member of the LGBTQ2S+ community spray painted the sign so that a hate crime can be reported. It would get =media coverage. This sort of thing happens a lot. The fact that the local LGBTQ2S+ groups want to meet with Kenora’s Conservative MP Eric Melillo on transphobic rhetoric and he refuses to do so, makes this a possible motive.
Could be any of the three. The question is motive and ids that motive “hate” of the LGBTQ2S+ community? We do not know who did it and therefore we do not know the motive.
I feel that until the people who did this are found and brought to justice, its too early to make a sweeping accusation as to who did it and why.
The Italian Cultural Centre is also advertising an up and coming Drag Show. I do not see any spray painting there…yet. I will keep an eye on that situation. Lots of graffiti on one of its buildings though. No arrests as far as I know. As I said, spray paint is the main weapon used in local graffiti.
I am not going to hold my breath waiting for this crime to be solved. It would be great if it was. The problem is that using spray paint to paint vulgar messages on infrastructure is extremely common in Thunder Bay. It just is. Yes, even inside the portable toilets in Marina Park. I took photos.
As far as “hate” of LGBTQ2S+ community is concerned, the following video might explain things: The man is a member of Gays Against Groomers. Yes, this is a real organization.
Seems like the man has a reasonable argument. He is making the same argument that local parents are making when they protest against sexuality being taught in elementary schools . Also, that children are being told to keep this secret from their parents.
Is that wrong? Is that “hate”?