‘We have to call it out’: Souris responds to anti-LGBTTQ+ vandalism

A Pride crosswalk in a southwestern Manitoba community was vandalized over the weekend, leaving its creators upset but unbowed in their efforts to foster inclusive and safe spaces for LGBTTQ+ people.

At least one person used a roller and white paint to cover the rainbow coloured section of the crosswalk in Souris’ business district, said Marley Dewar, an executive member of the Souris Pride Committee, who described it as an act of hate.

“Waking up Saturday morning to this news was heartbreaking and soul crushing. It hurt a lot,” Dewar said.

The incident happened Friday night, which was Halloween, or early Saturday morning at the intersection of First Street South and Crescent Avenue West. The paint roller was left behind, Dewar said.

Minor vandalism has occurred since the crosswalk was first painted in September 2021 — with people drawing on it or scuffing it, for example — but nothing to this extent has happened before.

It was unclear whether the incident was reported to Souris’ RCMP detachment. A Manitoba RCMP spokesperson was unavailable for comment Sunday.

For Souris Pride Committee members, an outpouring of positive messages in the aftermath of the incident is a reminder there is more support than hate in the community, Dewar said.

“I don’t know if the people who did this really thought through the impact it would have,” they said.

Dewar, 40, said the vandalism cannot be ignored, with it being a reminder more work is necessary to educate and create an inclusive environment.

They called on allies to be “on the forefront” to support the LGBTTQ+ community and combat homophobia and transphobia.

“We have to call it out when we see it, even if it’s uncomfortable,” Dewar said.

Duane Davison, mayor of the Municipality of Souris-Glenwood, condemned the incident and described Souris as a welcoming and kind place.

“It’s disappointing,” he said of the vandalism. “I hope whoever is responsible looks in the mirror and thinks about how their actions might affect other people.”

He said the incident doesn’t reflect the community as a whole. A statement posted on the municipality’s Facebook page urged people to “choose kindness and respect for one another.”

Souris Pride Committee is looking to repaint the crosswalk. It’s unclear if that work will happen before winter. Some people who contacted the committee over the weekend offered to help repaint the crosswalk or donate paint and brushes.

It’s not the first time a Pride crosswalk has been vandalized in a small or rural community in Manitoba. A crosswalk in Lundar, located in the Interlake, was repeatedly vandalized in 2023.

Dewar said the “driving force” behind the creation of Souris’ crosswalk was the theft of a Pride flag outside a committee member’s home.

The committee plans to approach the municipality with requests for a Pride flag-raising event to mark Pride Month in June, and a permanent mural.

Dewar said the vandalism occurred the same night a queer wedding brought guests from across Canada to Souris, and raised nearly $8,000 for local initiatives.

Some of the funds could be used to establish a Pride scholarship to turn the act of hate into something positive, Dewar said.

Souris is about 45 kilometres southwest of Brandon. The community had a population of 1,935 as of the 2021 census.

Pride organizations across Canada have reported an increase in hate incidents and anti-LGBTTQ+ sentiment, attributing it to, in part, the political situation in the U.S. and rhetoric on social media.

In September, Steinbach Pride organizers said they cancelled their annual rally and march after threats prompted safety concerns. The threats were reported to RCMP, organizers said.

The federal government’s 2025 budget, to be tabled Tuesday, will include $7.5 million over five years for security at Pride events.

The funds are managed by Fierté Canada Pride, a national umbrella organization, which recently told the Free Press this year’s $1.5 million in funding ran out amid a 31 per cent increase in new applicants.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca