A council-erected Pride Month display has been vandalised in Sydney's south-west for the second year in a row.
Reports of vandalism to the display on Camden's main street – erected for the LGBTIQA+ community in support of Pride Month – were posted on Reddit on Tuesday, referencing derogatory comments on a local Facebook page about the incident. The display, of the word "PRIDE", was knocked over with the "P" missing.
About the same time last year, a similar "PRIDE" sign was destroyed with only the letter "E" still standing.
According to the Reddit post, the vandalisation was discussed at length on the local Facebook page “You know you’re from Camden if……”, where it was said that a large proportion of people on the page supported the vandalism.
However, by the time Gay Sydney News visited the Facebook page, the post had been removed and we could not confirm those reports.
Camden Mayor Ashleigh Cagney told Gay Sydney News that she was deeply disappointed that the display had been vandalised.
“Being a welcoming, inclusive and diverse community are core values for Camden," she said.
"I am positive that the vandalism reflects the views of a minority within the community because I know the vast majority of our residents are supportive, positive and respectful."
Cagney said she hoped the act would not dampen the feeling of pride the community should be feeling this month.
“To the LGBTIQ+ community, please know that you are always welcome in our town and we will always love and support you as part of our community,” Cagney said.
She added that the display was in the process of being replaced and urged anyone with information to contact police.
NSW Police told Gay Sydney News that it had not received a report about the incident.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
