Community shows its ‘true colors’ at solidarity rally
San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon speaking about the incident.
–The LGBTQ community and their allies gathered together in San Luis Obispo Wednesday in an effort to, “embrace marginalized people and people of all types, practice committed compassion, challenge the systems that create and inflict violence on so many, and to create a world full of equality and justice.”
On June 1, a rainbow flag displayed at the home of San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon was taken down, burned, and left in the yard. A sign saying that black lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, and no human is illegal was also destroyed. “This hate crime does not reflect the values of our welcoming community, which embraces all peoples,” wrote organizers on the event Facebook page. The rally was a reaction to this event, as well as a recent occurrence at San Luis Obispo High School, where a teacher penned an anti-gay letter to the school newspaper, and a reaction anti-gay or anti-minority sentiment in general.
The event was a collaboration between the local rights group The Queer Crowd, and SLO County Progressives. After gathering in Mission Plaza, the group marched down Higuera Street and lined both sides of the street holding pride flags as traffic and pedestrians went by.
The rally cry, was, “We’re here, we’re here, get used to it!” The event sent the message that the community will not live in fear or shame, and that, with every pride flag burned, hundreds more will be lifted up.
June is National Pride month, and 2017 marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and the 39th anniversary of the creation of the rainbow flag,
Pride in the Plaza will be celebrated in San Luis Obispo July 7-9.
