Exploring and understanding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression can be a very complex journey. Police said Tuesday that 20-year-old Tyresse Singleton, of Harlem, is facing hate crime. And I can only imagine the hurt and concern an act like this could cause families with 2SLGBTQ+ children. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)- A man has been arrested for allegedly burning a gay pride flag outside a Harlem bar. “This incident hits very close to home for me. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie condemned the incident on Thursday, calling it “disgusting and unacceptable.” Behaviour like this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at Cawthra Park or at any school within the PDSB.” “We recognize the harm that actions like this cause our students, staff and families. We take this very seriously and have begun an investigation,” the statement said. “The PDSB and Cawthra Park Secondary School condemn this hateful act of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.
(2SLGBTQ+ stands for two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, plus other varying identities.)Ī spokesperson for Peel District School Board said both the board and school administration at Cawthra Park are aware of the video. “We understand that this incident has an impact on the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and want to reassure everyone that officers from 12 Division are investigating this as a hate-motivated incident,” the tweet said. Peel Police issued a tweet Thursday confirming they are looking into the incident. “I am truly sorry for the harm caused by this incident,” the school statement reads. “The incident is currently being investigated and the school administration has been in contact with the affected students and we are in the process of gathering further information about the alleged activities and the students involved,” wrote McLeod, who added that “wellness” support will be made available to help staff and students understand the episode. In a letter issued to families at the school, CPSS principal, Tyler McLeod, wrote that students at the school recorded the incident at a nearby park and sent the video to other students who identify as LGBTQ. The school said the video is alleged to have been recorded by students at Cawthra Park Secondary School (CPSS) in Mississauga. People can be heard laughing in the background. The Star has viewed the video, which appeared to have been originally shared on the social media app Snapchat, showing a crumpled Pride flag on fire. We're really relieved to put this behind us and just move forward.Peel Police are investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing the burning of a Pride flag. He continued: "It is also a reminder that we live in a civilized world and more often than not you get the resolution you deserve. Officers testified that upon his arrest, Mayfield said he didn’t understand how burning a flag could be a felony. In this case, the perpetrator was apologetic, saying I have gay friends and I apologize to my neighbors. "It brings a sense of resolution and serves as a cautionary tale to anyone thinking of doing something similar not only to us, but to anyone who thinks of targeting anyone else for reasons of gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity," Alibi owner Alex Minko told The Daily Beastof the arrest. Cameron Mayfield was 23 when he burned a gay pride flag belonging to his neighbors in Omaha, Nebraska. There have already been 18 incidents reportedly motivated by the victim's sexual orientation in 2019, up from 15 at this time in 2018. Statistics from the NYPD show that hate crimes have shot up 64 percent in New York this year so far. "This act of hate is repugnant to our values of equality and inclusion, and we will not stand by and allow these cowardly acts to continue in New York."Īnti-LGBT hate crimes have been on the rise nationwide according to the FBI: The number of incidents based on sexual orientation rose each year from 2014 to 2017, when 1,303 incidents were reported. "I am appalled by the burning of yet another pride flag outside an LGBTQ bar in Harlem," Cuomo said in a statement Monday. Andrew Cuomo had directed the state police hate crimes unit to assist the NYPD in its investigation. He is charged with two counts each of criminal mischief as a hate crime and arson. Police arrested Tyresse Singleton, 20, of Manhattan, in connection with both incidents. Along with a security cam still of the suspect, the NYPD tweeted Tuesday evening: "ARRESTED!! Thank you to calls from the community to and the work of the Detectives in Hate Crime Task Force, this individual has been arrested and charged for both incidents of flag burning at #stophate"