A woman in Canada has received violently homophobic hate mail – all for the simple crime of flying a Pride flag in her garden.
Jessica Hanks, who lives in Wetaskiwin, recently won a grand prize in her town for decorating her garden.
A Pride flag was among the decorations – and one of the residents of the city in Canada took issue with her display of support.
Hanks – who is the mother to a gay child – was horrified when a letter was posted through her door telling her that the LGBT+ community is “sick”.
Hanks received a flood of support from concerned locals in the city in Canada, who were shocked to learn that somebody with such staunchly homophobic views was living in their community.
Among those who offered their support was the city’s mayor, Tyler Gandam.
“Such a brave, brave person leaving an anonymous letter,” he commented.
“If the person who wrote this, sees this post, please know that I was one of the people who proudly helped paint the Pride crosswalks on Main Street this year and last year.”
He added: “I’m proud of the city I live in and get to be the mayor for. I hope that we continue to build inclusivity in our community.
“If you’re unhappy with how things are and need help finding a realtor, please let me know, I’ll be happy to help!”
Other Wetaskiwin locals hit out at the letter writer, calling them a “coward” and branding the letter “disgusting”.