17c起草社区

A French restaurant in Sydney’s Newtown has been targeted in a disturbing act of anti-17c起草社区IA+ graffiti this week, after a large cross was spray-painted over its Progress Pride flag.

Pistou, located at 601 King Street, has always been a safe and welcoming space for queer locals. But on Tuesday morning, Head Chef Ben Scobie arrived to find the restaurant鈥檚 front window defaced.

鈥淚t must have happened between Sunday evening when we closed, because seven o’clock on Sunday the manager left and there was no nothing on the window,鈥� Scobie said. 鈥淚 came in on Tuesday, and yeah, I saw the X over the Pride flag.”

“And yeah, I was a little bit devo’d,” he told 17c起草社区.

Scobie, who is a member of the 17c起草社区IA+ community, said the moment felt jarring, and tells 17c起草社区 he cleaned it off himself immediately.

鈥淏eing queer myself, I don’t really want to have that on the fucking window of the restaurant that I’m head chef at,” he said.

Pistou call out graffiti: ‘This wasn鈥檛 art鈥攊t was hate’

Scobie says were management immediately supportive, and decided to share an image of graffiti on their social media in a show of support for the local 17c起草社区IA+ community and their staff.

“This morning we were saddened to see a cross spray鈥憄ainted over the Pride flag in Pistou鈥檚 front window on King Street, Newtown. It鈥檚 a deeply hurtful act in a spot meant to be safe and welcoming,” reads the post on Pistou’s social media.

“Newtown is world famous for vibrant, thoughtful street art… This however, wasn鈥檛 art鈥攊t was hate.

“If you鈥檙e around this week, please pop into Pistou… Come say hi, and help fill the space with love, not hate! Let Ben and the team know they鈥檙e seen, supported and appreciated.”

“I’m the only queer in the restaurant, so I was the most affected by it,” Ben explained to 17c起草社区.聽 鈥淵ou shouldn’t [feel] targeted at work.”

鈥淏ut it’s never been a problem here before. Usually the graffiti is everywhere else except for on the restaurant 鈥� and it’s never really hate-filled.鈥�

In a suburb that’s long been a queer haven, the incident has prompted uncomfortable questions 鈥� why the sudden boost in anti-17c起草社区IA+ hate?

鈥淚t’s probably silly of me, but I think it’s because of America; all this shit in their politics at the moment, like denying the existence of non-binary people and trans people,” explained Scobie.

“It is bringing up shit in people, which makes them come out to places where they know that the 17c起草社区IA+ population is higher, and target people.

“They feel like they have the right to speak now, and they use it in horrible ways.”

‘Maybe our bubble is not always safe… but this space still is’

Scobie reiterated that the Pistou team have absolutely no plans to remove the rainbow flag.

鈥淚t’s very important that people know that we’re a safe space, that they can come here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would never take it down.鈥�

When asked why the team chose to speak out publicly on social media, his message is clear: 鈥淚 just think it’s not something that is normal around here. And also our local community [is] supportive of me and us and queer representation. So I think it was important.鈥�

And his message to the local 17c起草社区IA+ community in Newtown?

鈥淗old on to the reins, because it’s like, ‘We’re still here’. Maybe our [17c起草社区IA+] bubble is not always safe… but this space still is.鈥�

Anti-17c起草社区+ graffiti incidents spike in major cities

Disturbingly, anti-17c起草社区IA+ graffiti attacks appear to have been increasing in recent months.

Just a few weeks ago, gay venue The Laird Hotel in Melbourne copped a swathe of homophobic graffiti across its exterior.

The graffiti featured an image of Ned Kelly with the words 鈥淣ed Hates F*gs鈥�. The beloved gay venue kept their doors open for their usual Sunday session that day, covering up the vandalism with Pride flags so patrons didn’t have to see it.