Dark black tire marks have been found on the Innisfil Pride Crosswalk at Innisfil Beach Park.
Innisfil Pride founder Jake Tucker, who uses the pronouns they/them pronouns, says they noticed the marks Tuesday while walking through the park as he does as part of their daily routine. Tucker filed a report with the police on Wednesday.
"The officer stated that there was a call on Monday night around 10 p.m. with a caller complaining of a White Dodge Ram doing donuts throughout the IBR parking lot," Tucker told InnisfilToday.
Tucker believes the marks were left intentionally as a form of vandalism.
"Knowing that our chosen design for the crosswalk is fully inclusive, it felt like an attack toward all the minority groups we fight to represent," Tucker said.
Tucker has lived in Innisfil for over 20 years and hopes that one day this type of behaviour stops.
"I really hope I live to see a day where people are truly accepted for being themselves without discrimination," said Tucker.
The intersex-inclusive Pride Crosswalk at Innisfil Beach Park was installed at the front gates of the park in August 2021 as a message to citizens that in Innisfil, you have the freedom to be yourself and walk proudly knowing that there are people here to support you.
The crosswalk project began after Innisfil Pride and the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library collaborated during Pride Month, emphasizing the importance of 2SLGBTQI+ visibility beyond one month a year. The Town supported the public art and placemaking initiative by reaching out to Valentino Vecchietti, the creator of the most recent Pride flag, to bring the intersex-inclusive design to one of Innisfil’s most popular destinations.
The Town of Innisfil said they are looking into the incident.
