B.C. Liberal candidate criticized for voting against rainbow crosswalk in Langley
Posted September 29, 2020 7:46 am.
Last Updated September 29, 2020 7:53 am.
LANGLEY TOWNSHIP (NEWS 1130) – A B.C. Liberal candidate in Langley is receiving criticism online for voting against the installation of a rainbow crosswalk planned for the township, in her role as an elected councillor.
Last week — the same day she was appointed by the party — Councillor Margaret Kunst voted against the project without giving a reason.
“As a resident, as a voter, it’s a big, red flag to me that this is a candidate that seems to be representing not the entire community,” Stacey Wakelin with Langley Pride tells NEWS 1130.
Wakelin says with Kunst hoping to secure votes in the election, representing all voices matters.
“It’s 2020. I don’t know why we keep having these conversations. It was kind of shocking that shortly after announcing her candidacy, she votes against a great symbol in our community,” Wakelin says.
The project was ultimately approved by the majority of council.
This isn’t the first time the B.C. Liberals have been criticized for issues related to the LGBTQ community. The party was accused of homophobia earlier this year after it paid for advertising in a conservative Christian magazine that defended conversion therapy.
“I would like to see some action,” Wakelin says. “I would like to, perhaps, have [the Liberals] vet their candidates a little more clearly.”
B.C. NDP candidate for Vancouver-West End Spencer Chandra Herbert, who is part of the LGBTQ community, has already criticized the Langley Liberal candidate’s decision to vote against the rainbow crosswalk.
“What year is it? There are rainbow crosswalks in communities all across B.C. from Prince George, to Kamloops, to Victoria, to the West End’s crosswalk which is ten years old this year,” he writes on Twitter, adding “It’s 2020 yet the BC Liberals are comfortable with a candidate who believes there’s room for conversion therapy, and a candidate who just tried to stop a rainbow crosswalk from coming into her town, not 10 years ago, but last week.”
