Colton Rasanen photo
In the early morning on Thursday, May 16, multiple suspects set a downtown Spokane Pride crosswalk ablaze, according to the Spokane Police Department.
Just three weeks after a handful of individuals representing Spokane's LGBTQ+ community gathered to repaint the Pride flag crosswalk at the intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Howard Street, it was vandalized again. Rather than the paint splatter and derogatory graffiti messages that appeared last year, this time the crosswalk was set on fire, according to the Spokane Police Department.
SPD and the Spokane Fire Department responded to reports of smoke and flames at the intersection at about 1:15 am on Thursday. In a statement released later that day, SPD confirmed that video surveillance showed multiple suspects pouring liquid on the crosswalk and then lighting it on fire while another suspect recorded the incident.
On Friday, Spokane City Council members and community partners who serve Spokane's LGBTQ+ community held a press conference denouncing what they said should be considered a hate crime.
“It appears that there’s a group of people that are working on creating and inciting fear in our community and we want to make sure that we are looking for them and holding them accountable,” said Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone, the first openly-queer elected member of the council.
“These are not neighborhood kids, these are coordinated attacks,” Council member Paul Dillon added. “This is another real-time reminder of the rise we’re seeing in hate crimes, particularly in Eastern Washington.”
Even though both Zappone and Dillon stated that this was an act of hate toward Spokane's LGBTQ+ community, it's technically not considered a hate crime under current state law yet.
"While it appears the mural was targeted for what it represents, the malicious act may not constitute a hate crime under current state law," the SPD release states.
Earlier this year, Washington State Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, introduced a bill that would amend existing laws to make the defacement of publicly-owned property eligible to be prosecuted as a felony hate crime. Previously, a hate crime couldn't be charged without a specific victim.
The bill passed through both chambers of the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee to go into effect on June 6. While that new law still isn't in effect, SPD said it is investigating Thursday morning's fire as an arson, which is also a felony.
“We have seen an uptick of hate here locally and across the country, particularly against the LGBTQ+ community,” Zappone said. “We want to say as a community here in Spokane, that [hate] has no place here. "
Other's in Spokane's LGBTQ+ community took to the podium at Friday's press conference to passionately speak against the rise in hate toward marginalized communities in Spokane.
“I’m asking from our community that you stand in love and compassion for those who live differently, who look differently, who exist differently because the truth is that’s what makes the world great — not just the United States — but the world,” said Roo Ramos, executive director of Spectrum Center Spokane and a two-spirit Indigenous person. “It’s not that hard to give dignity and respect to people that live differently than you.”
Bishop Gretchen Rehberg of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane took to the podium and promised that the church would match all donations made to repaint the crosswalk. She said the donations will ensure that in the future, the crosswalk can continue to be repainted as needed.
"Love always triumphs over hate, but hate will always try," she said. "We must be together and united that this has no place in Spokane."