Can Persistence Overcome Resistance?

 I love Alberta. The place, anyways. And yes, most of the people too. But there is a constituency I am finding harder and harder to abide; the ones who reside at the intersection of stupid and hateful.

The town council of Westlock AB voted unanimously to paint a crosswalk in rainbow colours for Pride. There were those who spoke out against it, but there was also a lot of outspoken support, and at the end of the day, the council felt it important to signal their inclusion for everyone and support for marginalized sexual minorities. 

Rather than express their displeasure in the next municipal election, a concerned citizens group (aided by GoFundMe money from who knows where), requested a plebiscite requiring "neutrality" for all town sites and resources, prohibiting flags or other public displays for any "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities." Please note this would not only ban Pride flags but remove any chance to honour things like St. Patrick's Day, the Metis Nation of Alberta, Knights of Columbus, Scouts and Guides, the Hudson's Bay Company, etc.

The vote was held earlier this week and by Thursday it turned out a) only a third of eligible voters showed up and b) the neutrality side won by precisely two dozen votes (50.9%).

I mean, bad enough that small-minded jackasses take it upon themselves to spill black paint or do burnouts on these crosswalks across the province, but for a group of people so upset at acknowledging 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in their own community that they would lobby for painting over a rainbow crosswalk and highlight to the world how intolerant their community wants to be is equally disheartening and stultifying. And knowing those regressive imbeciles at Take Back Alberta had a hand in it is not comforting either.

I believe this (re) post by Dr. Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual & Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University, sums up the shortsighted idiocy of this play:

But unlike some folks, I still believe in democracy and agree that the will of the people (in this, case, the will of the one-third of eligible voters who took part), must be heeded. 

I am glad to hear council is already looking for other ways in which to support this particular community, but laughed out loud when I read about this retort:

In the end, I think yes, love and support will eventually wear down ignorance and bigotry.

I just wish there wasn't so much of it to overcome, especially in a province with so much to love about it.