New Brunswick town's mayor defends policy that prohibits Pride banners on lampposts
A New Brunswick mayor is defending her town's new policy that will prohibit Pride banners from being displayed on lampposts in the community -- a move a local LGBTQ group says sends a harmful message.
During a council meeting Tuesday, Woodstock, N.B., Mayor Trina Jones said the past practice of hanging Pride banners in the town will end under a policy passed in November that says lamppost banners will be reserved for promoting Woodstock-area tourism or heritage.
Amanda Lightbody, the head of non-profit LGBTQ+ organization The Rainbow Crosswalk, says the removal of the rainbow-coloured Pride flags that have hung on lampposts in the summer for several years is "a step back" for the community.
"Those in our community who are anti-LGBTQIA, when they see something that's been up there that they don't like -- that they hate -- being removed with no real explanation, they take that as a signal from the government that these people (council) are like us. That these people don't like the queer community as well," Lightbody said in an interview Friday.
She added that the town's policy is already being lauded in homophobic hate groups online.
In an emailed statement Friday, Jones declined to be interviewed and said council is satisfied with the information shared at its recent meeting.
At that meeting, Jones insisted the policy was not aimed at the Pride flag. She added that the town is "not defined" by its previous practice of displaying the flag on lampposts for six weeks of the year.
"I think it's important for us all to take a step back and try and determine why a flag that is meant to unify appears to be having the opposite effect and is creating division in multiple ways," Jones said.
In 2017, a newly painted Pride rainbow sidewalk in the western New Brunswick town was vandalized before being promptly repainted. Lightbody's group is named after this incident and is inspired by "the spirit of the people that rallied around in support" after that vandalism.
Lightbody said the council at the time eventually decided it was too expensive to keep repainting the rainbow sidewalk, so instead the town displayed Pride banners for six weeks in the summer.
Since Tuesday's council meeting, Lightbody said a number of local businesses have reached out and have offered to display Pride flags in their storefronts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.