WHITEHORSE – RCMP in Whitehorse have opened an investigation into an act of vandalism on a newly painted rainbow crosswalk installed by the city in support of the LGBTQ community.
Witnesses said a white truck allegedly stopped on the crosswalk on Monday and burned rubber, leaving long black marks across the rainbow.
READ MORE: Saskatoon’s rainbow crosswalk damaged by tire marks
Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis said he’s embarrassed for the person who did the burnout, adding there will always be a small portion of the community that is intolerant and fearful of others.
Curtis said he’s actually glad it happened because it emphasizes the need for tolerance and the obvious point that more work has to be done in the community.
Chase Blodgett, All Genders Yukon founder and Pride co-organizer, said the incident highlights what some people have to deal with in their lives.
“The content of your character is so much more significant than some arbitrary characteristic such as who you love — and I’ve always felt that way — but at the same time, this incident happening really highlights the lived reality for people who are on the gender or sexual orientation diversity spectrum,” Blodgett told CKRW.
The rainbow crosswalk was painted just a few weeks ago across the city’s Main Street in what Curtis said was a celebration of diversity and an act of inclusion for all citizens.
READ MORE: Lethbridge rainbow and transgender flag crosswalks vandalized
Rainbow crosswalks in Lethbridge, Alta., and Saskatoon, Sask. were also vandalized by tire marks earlier this month.
— With files from CKRW
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