Group that supports LGBTQ2S+ community in North Bay vandalized
A group of motorcycle enthusiasts in North Bay were victims of vandalism this week because of their support for the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Lorieann Whittaker and the rest of the North Star Guardians club are disheartened after a member’s pickup truck was spray-painted Wednesday night with anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric.
"This is happening in our backyard and a lot of people have been turning a blind eye," Whittaker said.
"I was upset at first and angry, but that just lit a fire to educate."
The interior and exterior of the truck belonging to club member Jimmy LaPorte was tagged Wednesday night between 11 p.m. and midnight on Sherryl Crescent.
Some of the vandalism is directly aimed at the group's support of the LGBTQ2S+ community. The front seats were also slashed with a knife that was left behind.
Phoenix Whittaker is a general queer community worker who works with LGBTQ2S+ children through the group who knows all too well about the effect that hate directed toward LGBTQ2S+ individuals can have.
"As someone in the queer community of northern Ontario, I was quite put back by it," Phoenix Whittaker said.
“But to say I was shocked, well I’m really not. It’s still sad this is happening in 2022.”
The vandalism comes a month after the group publicly supported OutLoud North Bay when the LGBTQ2S+ youth space was flooded with online hate and death threats for wanting to host a youth drag show.
Club members guarded the safe space and held a fundraiser for the organization.
"We are a very active advocate for OutLoud and we are a very active group for the queer community," said Lorieann Whittaker.
"We accept everyone and anyone."
According to Statistics Canada, the queer community is two times more likely to suffer discrimination than other groups.
North Star Guardians help disadvantaged, bullied and abused children and their families through support, mentorship and liaison.
North Bay police confirm an investigation is currently open to determine whether there's a link to last month's OutLoud threats.
"At this point, the investigation will tell us that," said Insp. Jeff Warner.
"There is an investigation underway into the offence of mischief. Depending on the value of damage, it could be mischief over $5,000."
Police are encouraging anyone with home or dash camera video footage to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
As for North Star Guardians, the club said an act of vandalism won’t stop their support of youth in the community
"We won’t stop what we’re doing. We have a mission and our mission includes standing with the queer community," said Lorieann Whittaker.
Correction
The name of the street the vandalism happen on has been corrected. It is Sherryl Crescent, not Cheryl Street as orginally published.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.