The destruction of another gay Pride flag in Norwich Township will only make residents more determined to make the town tolerant and inclusive, say LGBTQ+ allies.
At the same time, the hate expressed in the township is frightening and may be driving some people out, they said Friday in the wake of the burning of a Pride flag.
“Tons of community members that would never have had a Pride flag before have them flying high just in response to all the hate that that’s happened in the last three months,” said teacher and resident Colleen bator.
“You can’t just sit back and let it continue. It’s hurting the community.”
Norwich resident Kathryn De Jong says she was heading home after a baseball game at about 10:30 pm Thursday when she saw a Pride flag burning near the intersection of Main and Stover streets in the community of Norwich.
“Nobody was watching when I drove by there, and there were no vehicles. I must have just missed it because it burned itself out pretty quickly,” she said.
She turned the block and waited to see if anyone stopped to watch, but all she saw was a pickup truck of young men who drove by, De Jong said.
She called the OPP, who returned to Norwich Friday to collect evidence and surveillance video, De Jong said.
Oxford OPP confirmed Friday they’re investigating an incident involving a Pride flag burned on Stover Street.
They’re asking members of the public who might have information to contact them at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
De Jong said it’s the second time she’s come across a burning flag downtown, the first one also a Thursday evening, June 30.
The township of 11,000 has been struck by several acts of vandalism and theft of Pride flags this summer, residents say.
In June, township council accepted a delegation from a man accused of stealing Pride flags, who drew comparisons between the Pride movement and Nazis.
That council received the delegation from Tillsonburg resident Jake Dey and allowed him to speak for a half hour — 20 minutes more than allotted — drew fire from township residents.
There are many candidates running for council in the October election who support a more inclusive community, Bator said.
“We can create some safety for all community members,” she said.
Meanwhile, it’s important to publicly call out acts of intolerance and hate, added bator, a high school teacher in Delhi who has overseen the school’s Gay Straight Alliance for the past 12 years.
“I’m seeing so many of my former students and my current students and they’re so enraged, and they’re so hurt. I’m raising a child in this community and I don’t want him to be to be exposed to this hate as well,” she said. “It’s so infuriating, and it’s so crazy.”
De Jong, who is straight, said the anger against the LGBTQ+ community and supporters is changing Norwich for everyone.
“I’ve lived in the community my entire life, and I have never felt safe. Now it’s almost to the point where I question walking out at night by myself. It’s just very unpredictable what is happening,” she said.
On the other hand, the actions against Pride have opened the door for discussions that obviously have to take place, De Jong said.
The incidents are hurting Norwich’s image, Bator said.
“It’s driving people out of this community. Who wants to move to Norwich right now?”
But deputy mayor and Ward 2 Coun. Lynne DePlancke said the community is still safe and welcoming.
“It’s still a great place to live. I’ve lived here all my life, and I sure wouldn’t want to move. These types of things can happen, and hopefully, it won’t continue to happen, because it does shed a bit of a bad light.”