It seems Kelowna has a new target for the haters.
Response to the city’s decision to paint a rainbow-coloured crosswalk at Lawrence Avenue and Pandosy Street downtown just before the kick-off to this year’s Pride Week festivities has generated plenty of support—but, unfortunately, it would appear, even more criticism.
Judging by comments being bantered around, and local unscientific poll results, it seems those who do not like the crosswalk, don’t like it because it has a connection to the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) community.
Some question the cost, others say it’s preferential treatment and, most bizarre of all, some go so far as to claim the presence of a crosswalk with colour pushes the gay lifestyle down the throats of the non-gay population.
Yea, right, the same way the presence of a nativity scene at the foot of Bernard Avenue each Christmas pushes Christianity down the throats of non-Christians living here, the presence of a large Menorah in Stuart Park at Hanukkah pushes Judaism down the throats of non-Jews and other celebrations by ethnic and social groups in the city during the year push their beliefs down the throats of others. Balderdash. Get real.
The crosswalk, is, at its core, exactly that—a colourful crosswalk. Unlike rainbow crosswalks in other cities, Kelowna’s does not copy the rainbow flag used by the LGBT community. It is simply blocks of colour on the road instead of black and white lines. It’s not the multicolour collection of thin horizontal stripes found on the flag.
But that doesn’t matter.
Just like the aforementioned nativity scene, Menorah and other celebrations, the crosswalk does point to the community Kelowna would like to become—one that is welcoming of all, no matter their race, religion, political persuasion or sexual preference. I thought we were already there, but now I’m wondering.
Years ago, as the city hall reporter for this paper, I covered the initial attempts to get a gay pride parade (as it was known then) started in Kelowna, and watched the venom being spat by intolerant bigots at the time as they opposed it. To hear them talk then, Kelowna would go to hell in a hand-basket if such “depravity” was allowed. One went so far as to claim there would be men fornicating in the street.
Well guess what? The parade went ahead and all Hell did not break loose.
In the years since the local Pride festival has grown, many in the community have embraced it, and it has helped show a more tolerant face of Kelowna to the outside world.
And now this.
For those who question why Pride celebrations are needed in a day and age where same sex marriage is legal, equal rights are extended to all regardless of sexual preference and further strides are being made to be more inclusive, this is the reason.
When colour on a crosswalk brings out the haters, you know there’s still a need to raise awareness.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Kelowna Capital News.
