Lismore rainbow crossing vandalised with biblical message during LGBTI festival

A recently unveiled rainbow crossing in the northeastern New South Wales city of Lismore has been vandalised with biblical graffiti.

The crossing, which was opened to the public on 12 December, has had the phrase “GEN 9:13” spray painted across it in black on 31 December, reports Northern Star.

‘Gen 9:13’ refers to a bible verse from the Book of Genesis: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

The vandalism occurred during Tropical Fruits New Year’s Festival, a local LGBTI festival run by the Tropical Fruits social club which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Lismore mayor Isaac Smith has responded to the damaged public property, calling out the perpetrator’s actions.

“I think the rainbow is a symbol that everybody can appreciate and to have somebody graffiti it, it’s really disrespectful to the whole community,” he said, according to Gay Star News.

“If these people are Christians, I think they should look at their actions and maybe remember proverb 25:28 that says: ‘A person without self control is like a broken city’, that might be a more useful verse to keep in mind.”

The culprit has yet to be identified.

“It will be cleaned up soon but I think it’s important for people to realise you don’t have to take meaning away from others to make meaning for yourself,” Smith told Northern Star.

But in the meantime members of the public have taken it upon themselves to offer their own fix.

LGBTI Rights Australia shared a photo of the updated crossing on Facebook, showing someone has used paint and tape to cover the graffiti overnight.

The post has already garnered over 1,000 reactions and a number of comments thanking the heroic helpers, although one summed up the overwhelming support most succinctly:

“Tape that bigots! [Love] wins.”