Upon first glance, a newly installed sign at the corner of Davie and Thurlow streets appears to be nothing more than a City of Vancouver advisory to its residents.
But with a second, much closer look – its message has people stopping in their tracks.
“Violence to our friends, family, and neighbours happens here too,” the sign proclaims.
Its creators – a group of people who wish to remain unnamed – said the sign is a monument to the tragedies of significant violent acts to the LGBTQ+ community the area is known for.
The sign is hung "near where Andrew Kurra, 46, was left after being beaten nearly to death last year. People don’t know that and they should,” the group told Vancouver Is Awesome.
It still isn’t known whether the attackers who left Kurra in a care home with severe brain injuries, nearly a year later, targeted him because of his sexuality.
Donated from a New Westminster sign shop, the sign appears to be issued from “The Department of Being a Decent Human Being.”
As of Monday, the art installation – which replaced words in the City of Vancouver logo with “Do Better Vancouver,” had not been taken down by the municipality.
But there have been other acts of violence against people in or supporting the LGBTQ+ community near that very street corner, stressed the group.
In August, sports radio host Justin Morissette had his leg broken after confronting two street preachers who were blasting anti-gay rhetoric in the street near his apartment.
According to Stats Canada, 10 per cent of all police-reported hate crimes in the country were "motivated by hatred of [a person's] sexual orientation."
“Over the past several years violent assaults have ruined the lives of our friends, families, and neighbours,” the group said in an email.
“The Davie Village is a community built on inclusion and having anyone be afraid to be themselves here, or afraid to be out at night is unacceptable.”
On Tuesday, Vancouver City Councillor Melissa De Genova motioned for a special council meeting to prioritize public safety concerns after a 21.7 per cent spike in violent crime city-wide in 2020.
"We’re not experts. Just people who saw what happened to Andrew, Justin, and others, and thought that for once maybe people shouldn’t forget the serious acts of violence in our community," the group added.
It is also calling for passersby to donate to Kurra's legal and medical recovery fund, which is halfway to its goal of $100,000.
"It can make a real difference in someone’s life," they said.
