I was cc’d on an email last week that I found disturbing.
A volunteer with Pride in the Highlands had sent out a mass email to folks on the Pride email list. They were seeking helpers for another community event: Minden RotaryFest, which was held this past weekend in downtown Minden.
What a nice thing to do: calling on an already-established volunteer list to help out another community group in the Highlands. One person who got that email replied, in part, “f*** off with your freak show alphabet community BS.” He used the word “faggots” and said he was “definitely not a supporter of your mental illness.”
I was quickly cc’d on two responses.
One rightly said it is both sad and alarming to read hate speech directed at a community whose members are simply seeking to live their lives openly, peacefully, and with the same dignity and respect afforded to everyone else.
Regardless of the person’s beliefs, he said there is no justification for language that seeks to intimidate, or target people because of their sexual orientation or any other protected ground. He said LGBTQ+ people posed no threat to the writer, or the broader community.
Again, spot on. They are our neighbours, families, business owners, professionals, volunteers, and residents – entitled to live without being subjected to hate, hostility or demeaning rhetoric.
The other person who cc’d me said it’s quite horrendous to see how homophobic the community continues to be, and just how egregious their disgusting, discriminatory behaviour continues to be. It’s Pride Week. And although I wish I didn’t have to write my annual editorial on why it is still needed, emails like the one from this man make it essential that I do. Pride volunteer chair Chris Hewson told TheHighlanderhe’s seen an increase in homophobic-fuelled actions, including a banner in Minden promoting Pride Week twice being cut down in recent weeks.
He told us they see, and experience, more divisive verbiage and behaviour than in the past. He thinks it’s because they have become more visible, present and engaged with the community.
Hewson added being out is what Pride is about; being closeted is no place for someone to live, survive or thrive.
Funny, when the anti-vaxxers were running rampant in Haliburton County, hijacking the Canadian flag for their cause, I don’t recall anyone reaching out to me to tell me their flags had been interfered with.
People have always had strong differences of opinion. That’s okay. That’s how a healthy society works. It is okay to disagree. However, it isn’t okay to attack someone because they have different beliefs than you do.
We all know there are some great folks in Haliburton County. However, there remains a deep and dark pocket of homophobia.
It usually festers quietly away from the public – though thrives behind closed doors. Occasionally – as in the case with this email – it rears its very ugly head for all to see.
Haliburton County, and its residents, need to do far better.
