A petition has been launched on the change.org website to show support for the LGBTQ2S community in Redvers.
Titled Continue Publicly Promoting Love and Inclusion for LGBTQ2S Folks in Redvers, it calls for Redvers Town Council to retain the rainbow pride crosswalk in the town, and it says town council should disregard another petition in the town, describing it as “baseless” and “hateful.”
“We are asking the people of our community to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ2S peers who are bearing the brunt of this hateful and harmful barrage of homophobia and transphobia,” the petition on change.org states.
On July 27 a group of volunteers came together with the approval of the Redvers Town Council to paint a rainbow pride crosswalk. It was viewed as a physical gesture to show the local LGBTQ2S population that they are seen and accepted and that the people of the town support them for who they are. This gesture was done completely with donated materials and volunteer time.
It was vandalized with tire marks a few days later.
“We are forming this petition because there are hateful members of this community who believe that this small gesture of ally-ship is offensive, wrong, a threat to the image of the community, against their Christian religion, an attempt to ‘target’ school kids with harmful messaging, a threat to the continuity of the country, and a political gesture that promotes harmful values.”
The change.org petition says the pride crosswalk in Redvers is harmless.
“It is a simple symbol of love and inclusion and it shows the LGBTQ2S members of the community that they are not alone, they have allies, and they are accepted here. No one is being ‘targeted’ by paint on a crosswalk, but some members of Redvers who are LGBTQ2S may feel better knowing that there are people here who accept them for who they are and support them.”
When the petition reaches its goal, it will be submitted to Redvers Town Council where it will become public record and be archived, with any member of the public having access upon request.
The change.org petition was launched Wednesday morning. As of Thursday at noon, it had 1,443 signatures. The goal is 1,500 signatures.
