Dear editor:
I am writing about your Nov. 10 editorial, “More than an act of vandalism,” about damage done to the town’s lone rainbow bench.
Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, I hesitated putting forth my views on your editorial. However, there are many NOTLers who share my view and our voice needs to be heard.
In 2021, I wrote a letter suggesting that to proceed with rainbow crosswalks was a big mistake.
My argument was: why single out just one community group? Why not the Asian, Indigenous or Black community?
In fact, holding one group apart as special, or different, is the basis for divisiveness in a social community.
Having spoken with a couple of councillors, I learned that council was somewhat divided on giving the nod of approval to a rainbow crosswalk – yet, it went ahead. And now we have an act of vandalism?
By painting crosswalks and park benches with rainbows, the town is engaging in the most blatant act of virtue signalling.
It’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull at a bullfight. It will activate those very few people in our community who are just looking for an excuse to express their worst behaviour.
The Shaw Festival is celebrating its 61st year of operation. Many people associated with the theatre, the arts, restaurants, etc. are from the LGBTQ community.
My wife and I live here and have been attending the Shaw for over 35 years. In that time, we have never seen or heard of issues detrimental to this community.
In fact, a year or two ago, I came across a letter to the paper from a woman who mentioned she was gay and in the theatre. She was adamant that NOTL should not consider rainbow crosswalks.
Her cogent reasoning was that she did not want to be considered a “gay actress” nor did she want a symbol of it displayed in our town as a constant reminder. She wanted to simply be known as a Canadian. Good for her, I thought to myself.
Clearly, much of the western world has unfortunately adopted a woke attitude and many residents in our fair town are sorry to see its tentacles reaching into our midst.
We can only hope the new town council will not perpetuate similar errors of judgment of the past.
John Buchanan
NOTL
