New Hampshire Town Divided Over LGBTQ-Inspired Murals
A bevy of murals in Littleton, New Hampshire commissioned by a local Pride nonprofit meant to "beautify blighted properties" and create a more welcoming environment is doing the exact opposite.
According to a New York Times report, North Country Pride had the murals installed last year, featuring colorful trees, stars, flowers, and one with a rainbow.
However, the town has been left divided over what state senator and town selectman Carrie Gendreau alleged was "subversive messaging."
Addressing a local meeting about the murals last year, Gendreau told board members that they "need to be very careful" and encouraged residents to "research what the mural really means. I don't want that to be in our town."
She explained, "I would rather speak out and risk persecution than say nothing and see people end up in hell."
Kerri Harrington, who helped establish North Country Pride in 2020, told the NYT that she always respected Gendreau's religious views. However, "This was the first time I realized she had that agenda," she said.
Upon asking Gendreau to have a conversation about the murals, Harrington said Gendreau told her to read "The Return of the Gods," by Jonathan Cahn, focused on the Christian end of times prophecy, which he alleges is precipitated by a decline in religious beliefs.
"I told them, 'I hope God opens your vision.' I told them, 'I love you, and I don't want to fight back,''' Gendreau told the NYT.
Harrington said she read the book and became worried about what actions Gendreau might take against forms of LGBTQ+ support. Yet, it wasn't the first time that Gendreau's religious beliefs boiled over into her duties for the town.
Amid calls for Gendreau to apologize for her comments about the murals, she leaned into her views even more in an interview with the Boston Globe, calling homosexuality an "abomination" and saying that she saw "twisted preferences creeping into our community."
Gendreau allegedly told former town manager Jim Gleason that "God wants you in Littleton" when he was hired. However, after three years, Gleason resigned over Gendreau's comments about the mural, citing a "toxic work environment." He added that the comments were especially painful for him after his gay son Patrick died at age 35 from pancreatitis.
After more than 1,000 business people, residents, and visitors signed a letter asking the board to "step back from this hurtful path," Gendreau decided not to run for re-election to the board.
Her seat has since been won by Harrington, with townspeople hoping to use her victory as a chance to expand the diversity of the board.
Read the full story from the NYT.