A piece of pro-LGBTQ+ graffiti has been enhanced after unknown vandals painted over the piece earlier this month.
The piece consists of a heart, outlined in black, with the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag contained within painted on a rock. Three people – students Emma Benoit and Julia Suchoplas and Benoit’s mother Tamsen Neufeld – originally painted the heart in July 2018 on a rock cut next to Highway 10 at Hook Lake.
“My daughter had Qattended the Pride parade with friends, some of whom struggle with sexual and gender issues, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a message of love and acceptance for them from outside of Pride, from the community?’” said Neufeld.
“Life is hard enough and we should all be allowed to be who we really are without fear.”
Suchoplas added, “It was meant to just show our love and support for the LGBTQ+ community, and to add some colour on the way in and out of town.”
Not long after it was painted, an unknown person spray painted over the heart. Undeterred, the trio went out and painted it back in the same location.
The heart was left untouched until early May, when it was discovered someone sprayed over the heart again, using orange paint in an attempt to cover it up.
Suchoplas said that no other pieces of rock graffiti near the heart were covered over, leading her to believe their heart was specifically targeted.
“I’ll admit first it was anger, but then it turned to sadness,” she said of her initial reaction.
“I realized how some people could be so close minded about something that was meant to be beautiful.”
A few days later, the three painters got together to repaint the heart for a second time.
“(We wanted) to show that whoever painted over our heart that no matter what they do, they can’t stop the message of love,” Suchoplas said.
On May 11, the trio got back to work, painting the heart back in its original location. Neufeld made a social media post detailing the story that made its way around community pages, garnering support from like-minded Flin Flonners.
A few days later, the heart was altered by an unknown artist – although this time, in a way that its creators appreciated.
Along with the original heart, a pair of fluffy clouds were painted next to the heart, along with a pro-LGBTQ+ message in red text reading, “Love will always win!” The rocks leading up to the heart were painted in the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag.
None of the original painters know who added the extra touches, but Suchoplas said seeing the additions moved her to tears.
“Honestly, I started crying tears of happiness to know that there is someone out there who wanted to add more beauty to our art,” she said.
“I think it really just made it more noticeable and people can hopefully appreciate it even more now.”
If another vandal comes to paint over the mural, Suchoplas said she and her friends plan on repainting the heart and message again, as many times as required. They hope to other pro-LGBTQ+ artwork to rock faces near Flin Flon. Suchoplas, a committee member with Flin Flon Pride, said she had talked to other committee members who were on board with plans to spread their message further.
“I think we want to do more around town; not covering other people’s artwork of course, but on more empty rock surfaces,” she said.
“I think it’ll show them that it’s like one of those plants – you cut one off, two more grow back.”
