The municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo refused to hoist the rainbow flag in mid-April, after football hooligans previously destroyed the flag of the COC in Eindhoven. The municipality wanted to prevent others from ‘feeling wronged’ if something happens again. That caused a stir, because many other municipalities did participate. On Thursday night, a rainbow was drawn in front of the entrance to the town hall with sidewalk chalk.
Yessica is one of the perpetrators: “I did this together with two other women. We started at half past ten in the evening and we were busy for an hour.”
“It doesn’t matter when this flag is on display.”
Why only now? The women actually wanted to do it immediately after the municipality’s refusal to hang the rainbow flag. “But one of us had just had surgery on her wrist. That’s why we waited until she was better, because it doesn’t matter when this flag is seen.”
The three have made photos and a video of the action. They can be seen masked. Yessica: “I also dared to pose without a mask, you know. But one of the others is a bit more sensitive. She didn’t want any bullshit, that’s why.”
“This will touch something and that is also the intention.”
The municipality has not yet responded to their action. Yessica did receive a response from council member Miranda Verdouw. She is closely involved with GeldropsPride and the Dusty Foundation, which fights against violence against the rainbow community. “She got goosebumps when she heard what we did. She thinks it’s great.”
Yessica hopes that the action will influence the attitude of the municipality of Geldrop. In 2021 there was already a lot to do about hanging a rainbow flag as a protest against the anti-LHBTI legislation in Hungary.
“I wish everyone could have seen this.”
“People go in and out of the town hall or walk past it. It is of course a bit embarrassing that a rainbow flag can now suddenly be seen on the ground. Our drawing will therefore touch something and that is also the intention,” Yessica emphasizes.
She would have preferred their action to have taken place in broad daylight. So that everyone could have seen this and colored that and along. “Because one of us didn’t want that, we opted for the evening. Well, the point is that the flag is there. It’s just sidewalk chalk. So there’s nothing illegal about it. You can chalk the sidewalk on the sidewalk. You can just do it get rid of it with water.”
READ ALSO: Rainbow flag also causes discussion in Geldrop-Mierlo: ‘Ten cringing’
