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In case you missed it, the Caledonian Record recently reported on a homophobic attack by State Senator Carrie Gendreau against a recently unveiled diversity and inclusion mural on private property in downtown Littleton. During a Select Board meeting last Monday, Gendreau expressed grave concern with the mural project, titled “We Will Not Be Banned” which celebrates the beauty of diversity and the LGBTQ+ community.
Sen. Gendreau warned meeting attendees of the mural — which is on private property — saying what the artwork represents “is not good. It was not good. I won’t get into it. I don’t want that to be in our town. I don’t want it to be here.”
Read the full article here.
Key Excerpts:
Since Monday’s Littleton Select Board meeting, some community members have spoken out online against comments made by Select Board member Carrie Gendreau, who brought up the mural toward the end the meeting during the selectman’s topics segment.
"I’m not even sure how to broach the subject, because when it’s private property there’s nothing we can do,” she said. “But I really think we need to be very careful about what kind of artwork goes up.”
Gendreau said the group is talking about the possibility of putting up more artwork in town.
Littleton Town Manager Jim Gleason said the town can regulate public property and allow no one to put something on it.
"Exactly,” said Gendreau. “But it’s coming. And what went up is not good. It was not good. I won’t get into it. I don’t want that to be in our town. I don’t want it to be here.”
The board can enlist the Mitchell Group, its legal counsel, to look into the public property aspect, said Gleason.
"But if it’s on private property, we also need to make sure we’re not violating freedom of speech and freedom of expression,” he said.
"Private property, I get it,” said Gendreau. “I still don’t like it. But it’s private property.”
No matter the nature of the sign, Gleason said the town can keep it off of municipal property.
“But it’s bubbling over,” said Gendreau.