SPOKANE, Wash. —
After being on the receiving end of various hate crimes over the past month, Spokane's Pride community received much-needed support from a special event.
The Odyssey Youth Center hosted a pop-up Pride event Thursday afternoon in response to numerous acts of vandalism against the Odyssey Youth Movement Center and rainbow crosswalk in the Perry District. The district was covered with rainbow signs and flags, serving as reminders to people in the LGBTQ community they have a place in Spokane.
Odyssey Executive Director Ian Sullivan said inclusion and community are at the heart of the event.
"You can see the joy that's here, representation that's here, the excitement to be a part of community and inclusive community as well," Sullivan said.
The pop-up comes after the center experienced vandalism three nights in a row. Paint was used to write hate speech on walls and cover the rainbow crosswalk. All vandalism was scrubbed clean Wednesday morning.
Sullivan said people can now refocus on what's important.
"Thanks to the support of Spokane Arts and many community members the crosswalk has been cleaned off," Sullivan said. "It looks fabulous, colors are shining through again so perfect time for everyone to gather again and show everyone what the Perry district is about which is inclusion, community, that sense of belonging."
Some said it's a direct sign of perseverance.
"Every time they want to make a decision like that, we're going to make 10 times more decisions to keep showing up," Anita Selma Tacos said. "Show them we're queer, we're here and we're not going nowhere. This is our home too."
Before the pop-up, the City of Spokane organized a walk from the Perry District to the downtown Pride mural. That mural was also vandalized in the last week.
"Today, our hearts are hurting so we want to walk it out," one city employee said.
City officials said the walk showed hate doesn't have a place in Spokane. It's a message people in the LGBTQ community said they hope their young people know and hear.
"We need to let them know, they need to feel in this community that they are loved, welcomed and are a part of Spokane," Tacos said.
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