When Natick residents Cari Ryding (@cari_ryding) and Lauri Ryding (@lauriryding) returned from vacation, they found their home had been pelted with eggs, and their rainbow flag had been stolen. In response, local kids distributed flags in their neighborhood, and more than three dozen homes were soon flying the universal rainbow sign of acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
Another potential hate crime occurred in downtown Salem, when vandals wired up a newspaper box with makeshift explosives and then scurried away. What stood out to authorities was the target: The box was for the Rainbow Times, New England’s largest LGBT newspaper.
It was the 10th time the box had been vandalized over the last three months, but never like this. There is now a five thousand dollar reward for help solving the crime. The Rainbow Times Co-Founder Gricel Martinez Ocasio (@therainbowtimes), along with the Rydings, joined Adam to discuss the recent incidents, and their impact.
Ocasio said that the incident has had an effect on the LGBTQ community and its allies. Cari Ryding said that the outpouring of support has really transformed their experience. She said that neighboring towns are asking how they can help. Lauri listed the support from other countries, including Canada and Denmark, that has been pouring in since the incident. She said she hopes that this wasn’t a hate crime, and hopefully just kids being stupid. Ocasio said that they are looking for acceptance, not tolerance. “We’re all about love,” she said.
Adam was also joined by the Regional Director of New England’s Anti-Defamation League, Robert Trestan (@ADL_NewEngland). Trestan said that there has been a daily escalation in the language people are using, and how it is starting to play out in every day life and on social media. He said the messages are divisive and filled with hate. Hateful language, he said, is becoming part of the mainstream, and people with these hateful beliefs are starting to act out on it.
