Activists and members of Nova Scotia’s NDP gathered on Wednesday morning for a flag-raising at Province House to commemorate the International Day to End Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
A press conference was held prior, which featured words from individuals who’ve recently reported being on the receiving end of alleged hate-targeted incidents towards the LGBTQ2 community.
Susan Litke, formerly involved with the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, said a Pride flag outside her home was destroyed by youths in her north-end Halifax neighbourhood in early April.
She held up the re-stitched flag to those in attendance during the press conference, noting the job was done by an artist named Daisy Graham.
“They can try to tear us to bits, but we actually come back more glorious,” Litke said. “We will rise above.”
She said despite lots of societal progress being made surrounding inclusion, the destruction of certain flags and symbols indicates that more work needs to be done.
“It is concerning but it just makes me and many other advocates and activists much more passionate about the work that we do,” she said.
Ltike’s experience isn’t a standalone incident from recent weeks. On May 5, police said three youths were charged after a Pride flag signed by recent graduates was set on fire at Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon on April 21.
Halifax Regional Police also reported a second Pride flag was ripped from a home in the Spryfield area on May 7.
Claudia Chender, leader of the Nova Scotia NDP and MLA for Dartmouth-South, said the recent trend of these types of incidents is “completely unacceptable.”
“It is not the province that we want to live in, and we are determined to make that change that we need to see,” she said while speaking to a crowd outside the government building, “and to keep this province a safe space, a loving space, and a welcoming place for everyone.”
The Pride flag was raised following Chender’s words, which was met with cheers and a round of applause from the crowd.
Tam Pham, the current chair of the Nova Scotian Rainbow Action Project, hopes to use this day as an opportunity to let people know that “we can do better.”
“There’s a range of folks coming all together just to talk about this issue and that is the beauty of that as well,” said Pham.
“I know that I have my community to back me up when things like this happen but I’m also kind of sad that I have to resort to my communities when I want to just be fine on my own.”
They said their message to the broader community is simple: “Show up.”
“If you have a certain level of power, financial means or privilege, support folks in your communities in any way,” Pham continued, “support them emotionally, being their friends, being a shoulder for these folks to lean on in tough times.”
Rayne Frost, a Grade 12 student at Bayview High and co-leader of the school’s GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance), said the recent incident at the school was a “powerful symbol and message of hate.”
“I think it’s really important that people know that acts of hatred will always spawn hatred,” said Frost, “but it’s important that people know that they have to speak, take action, make noise and support our community in a time like this.”
“We need people to take action and work with us, not against.”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston published a tweet on Wednesday morning acknowledging and condemning the recent reports of hate-motivated threats made towards the community.
“Physical threats of violence and intimidation are unacceptable and have no place in our province. This is not who we are as Nova Scotians,” Houston said.
“It’s important we all commit to building a safe and inclusive province for all.”
When asked for an update on Monday’s report of the second Pride flag being torn from a home in the past month, police said the matter remains under investigation and asked for anyone with additional information to contact authorities.
“We recognize that incidents of this nature can be very harmful to our community,” said the Halifax Regional Police in a statement to Global News on Wednesday.
“We take incidents that are believed to be motivated by hate towards an identifiable group very seriously.”
The statement went on to encourage anyone who recently experienced behaviour that is deemed offensive, intimidating or threatening to report it to police.
— with files from Skye Bryden-Blom
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