Gay newspaper's street boxes targeted in Canada
''The energy that's required, the persistence to rip out a part that is very deliberately anchored in, suggests that this person has some significant issues. Somebody walking the streets out there has a real hate-on for the gay and lesbian community. I understand that people are not targeting Xtra with this; they're targeting the gay community. We're just a stand-in for the community.''
Gareth Kirkby, distribution manager for Xtra!, Canada's largest gay and lesbian newspaper. He reported that 14 newspaper vending boxes were vandalized and papers were removed. He confirmed that at the Ontario locations there were several different companies' boxes, but only Xtra had a door part ripped out and papers taken. Xtra fears that the individual involved could be preparing to take his anger out on people next, and have reported this to police as a possible hate crime. (Xtra!)
These types of street boxes are popular all over North America, where newspaper distribution can sometimes be problematic and accounts for much of a newspapers costs. However, the boxes are often targeted, damaged and sometimes set on fire.
At one location, they say a different gay publication, LOV, had similar damage, while other boxes were left alone, all leading people to believe this was a deliberate homophobic/hate crime. Creating a certain amount of worry among some members of the gay community.
JS
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