Theft of gift shop's gay-pride flag spurs questions in Pride Week

Dan82 · Jun 29, 2010

http://www.portlanddailysun.me/cgi/story2.pl?storyid=20100616015261000370

It was a sour note going into a week of celebration.

Someone tore down and stole a gay-pride flag displayed outside of Emerald City, a Congress Street gift shop that offers gay-friendly merchandise.

Danny Hatt and partner Don Chouinard of Portland opened the shop last year and had experienced no vandalism prior to last weekend's episode, Hatt said Wednesday. The flag was displayed as part of the celebration for Pride Week, which culminates Saturday with a parade and festival at Deering Oaks park.

"We wanted to hang a pride flag out above our sign, and we put it out on Saturday and Monday night it was ripped down," Hatt said. "They ripped the flagpole, everything, down. They took the whole thing. It's kind of disappointing going into Pride (Week), and we'd like to think we can put things out in support and not have them destroyed."

The shop at 611 Congress St. occupies a block of art galleries and the State Theater. Emerald City has flown two American flags without incident. While there's no evidence the vandalism was a hate crime, Hatt said he filed a report with Portland Police "because we felt they should be aware...
Click to expand...

Theft of gift shop's gay-pride flag spurs questions in Pride Week

Dan82 Full Member

Dan82
Full Member