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The mayor of Val-David in Quebec’s Laurentians region says the recent vandalism of a rainbow Pride flag won’t stop the municipality from marking Pride Week.
The town has had to replace the flag multiple times since first putting it up at its train station on July 27. Mayor Jean-Claude Rocheleau told CBC that the flags were cut down, burned or torn up, in four separate incidents, but the town replaced them every time.
“We have a large [2SLGBTQ+] community,” he said, adding that several people thanked him for continuing to fly the flag proudly despite the repeated acts of vandalism.
Rafaël Provost, executive director of Ensemble, a Montreal-based group that promotes diversity across Quebec says doing so signals support for the community.
“A flag just [represents] respect, so when you [raise] that kind of flag, you send a strong message to the rest of the world. Here, respect will win, not hate,” he said.
Rocheleau told CBC this is the first year the town decided to fly the Pride flag throughout Pride Week. He made the decision after a resident approached city council months ago inquiring about the town’s plans to mark the occasion.
“It’s very important, you know, when … a young citizen [comes] to the council and asks you what you’re going to do for them … We have to keep the flag on just to support those young people.”
The mayor says the actions by vandals do not represent the majority of residents. “For people of Val-David, diversity, inclusivity is very important.” (Submitted by Val-David Mayor Jean-Claude Rocheleau)
Rocheleau said he was very surprised to see the flag being destroyed in the community, and even more shocked by the slew of hateful comments on the town’s Facebook posts about Pride Week. He says the municipality eventually decided to turn off comments.
In a Facebook post condemning the acts, the town said the incidents of vandalism have been reported to the Sûreté du Québec, and surveillance cameras were installed at the train station.
“In Val-David, we choose to respond to intimidation with solidarity and to continue proudly flying the colors of openness, respect, and inclusion,” the statement reads.
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The mayor emphasized that these actions don’t represent the majority of residents.
“It’s just a few people who are doing this,” he said. “For the people of Val-David, diversity, inclusivity is very important.”
The town will keep the flag up until the end of Pride Week.