A Pride billboard was vandalized in a Manitoba community. Here is how locals are responding

RCMP are investigating the vandalism of a Pride billboard in southern Manitoba over the weekend. CTV’s Jon Hendricks reports.

A billboard meant to send a message of belonging to the LGBTQ+ community in the Pembina Valley became the target of vandalism over the weekend — but the attempt to silence the group’s message may have backfired.

The billboard, located between Winkler and Morden, presently advertises burgers. But, over the weekend, it displayed a different message: a sign that said Pride belongs in the Pembina Valley. That sign was spray-painted over with black paint.

Pauline Emerson-Froebe, president of Pembina Valley Pride, said Tuesday the damage looks deliberate.

“It doesn’t appear that it’s just graffiti. it doesn’t just look like it’s tagged. It looks like they were blatantly covering up the rainbow and the message.”

Emerson-Froebe said the vandalism reinforced why the group put the billboard up in the first place — to let the LGBTQ+ community know they belong in the area.

“We’re not going back in the closet. We want to reiterate to people that just because one or a few people made this statement doesn’t erase the fact that you belong here.”

Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens told CTV News the incident does not reflect the community’s values.

“This is an unfortunate situation. I’m disappointed it happened. This is not who we are as a community,” he said in a statement.

‘You can’t spray the gay away’

If the vandal’s goal was to silence Pembina Valley Pride’s message, it doesn’t appear to have worked. The group took a photo of the defaced billboard and is now selling it on T-shirts, complete with a new slogan.

“You can’t spray the gay away,” Emerson-Froebe said, referring to the spray paint on the sign, “And my goodness, if this isn’t the biggest campaign we’ve had — like, most successful campaign we’ve ever had!”

It’s not how the group wanted to promote its message, but as Emerson-Froebe put it, they made lemonade from these lemons.

Manitoba RCMP said they are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Pembina Valley RCMP or Crime Stoppers.