Good morning! A pro-marriage equality mural was defaced overnight with ‘hetero pride’. How’s that for a respectful debate?
So the marriage equality mural near my house has been defaced. Respectful debate indeed. Get absolutely fucked. pic.twitter.com/WQp2kfvQvz
— AtticusThomas (@AtticusThomas) September 11, 2017
The mural, by Melbourne street artist Van Rudd, went up on Fitzroy St last week, and is the third iteration of the rainbow wings he’s done.
Rudd told PEDESTRIAN.TV that the first, in Melbourne’s iconic Hosier Lane, was painted over so quickly it “didn’t see the light of day”, while the second, on the corner of Smith St and Webb St, was quickly defaced with a giant ‘no’.
“I think to many of us it’s not surprising, but at the same time you think, how is this logistically happening?” he told us. “Is someone from the ‘no’ campaign trolling all of the equal marriage campaign stuff and sending people out to do this? Is it someone actually local, or is it someone who has built up a network and is sending people out? I find it a bit hard to trace that sort of thing.”
He says the defacements have made him wonder if there is broader support for the ‘no’ campaign around the Fitzroy area.
Here’s what the mural looked like originally, btw.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYfXk7OB4nj/?taken-by=melbournedogconnection
They’re reminiscent of the iconic wing artworks by LA-based street artist Colette Miller, which are about reminding people about our shared humanity. Extremely appropriate for a movement about equal rights for all Australians, no?
Rudd, who’s been a part of the Equal Love campaign for a number of years (that’s its logo in the bottom right-hand corner), says that despite the defacings, he still remains hopeful for marriage equality in this country.
“I’m still really positive about the ‘yes’ campaign, despite these little set backs,” he said. “We can really smash it.”
He’s put the call-out for anyone with the time, skills and inclination to restore his work to go “and touch them up anyway they see fit”, adding that he unfortunately doesn’t have the time do get to it straight away.
He’s also keen to paint the wings somewhere they won’t be defaced.
“It does lead me to the point of [wanting] to just go up to the City of Melbourne council and ask for a wall and do the rainbow wings on that,” he said.
Honestly, here’s hoping. Any little thing that reminds people to cast their ‘yes’ vote in this insane and damaging postal survey is a good thing in our books.
Finally, here’s your daily reminder that straight / heterosexual pride is just absolutely not a goddamn thing.
When you have to literally work up courage just to hold your straight partners hand in public, THEN you can have a straight pride month.
— Taylor (@southernhimbo) June 9, 2017
WHEN GOVERNMENTS ARE TRYING TO KILL YOU AND YOU SURVIVE THEN YOU GET TO EXPRESS “PRIDE”
Hetero pride is not a thing. https://t.co/Ak0SFK7bXN
— oliyoung@aus.social (@oliyoung) September 11, 2017
