Geneva mayor condemns continued hydrant defacing

GENEVA – In no uncertain terms Monday night, Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns condemned the repeated defacing of a Pride-painted fire hydrant and another hydrant marked with a Nazi swastika over the weekend.

“Silence in the face of bigoted and hateful assaults on others are acts of complicity,” Burns said. “Imagine being so fragile, so unwell, so paranoid, narrow-minded and afraid of a pattern of colors that you are compelled to attempt to erase those colors time and time again.”

Pride and transgender colors that were painted on the hydrant at Kirk Road and State Street as part of the city’s Art on Fire program have been defaced multiple times, prompting artist Chrissy Swanson to repaint it each time.

“Imagine for a moment that a symbol of inclusion is so upsetting to you that you believe inclusion of others diminishes your own standing, your own place in this world,” Burns said. “So upsetting that you have to go out of your way while traversing a busy roadway to pull over and try to erase such a symbol.”

Burns noted that a suspect was charged last week with defacing the hydrant – and yet it was defaced again over the weekend, and this time with a phrase to encourage violence on the LGBTQ+ community.

The hydrant was painted over in blue but with the letters “KYS” in red on the base, a phrase commonly known to mean “kill yourself.”

“To the weak, broken and despicable person who committed this latest crime, be advised, you will be found. You will be arrested. You will be charged. And you will be prosecuted,” Burns said. “Your intimidation failed. We will not be scared into silence or frightened into not living our most authentic lives.”

Burns said Geneva is an inclusive and welcoming community and will remain so.

“Bigotry has a way of attracting even more bigots,” Burns said. “Just yesterday, it was reported to the Geneva Police Department that another fire hydrant – one that was not part of the Art on Fire program – nevertheless was defaced with one of the most heinous symbols known to humankind, the swastika.”

Calling it a “visual obscenity,” Burns said the administration, City Council and community condemns the person or people who spray-painted that symbol on city-owned property.

“We will stop at nothing to find you, arrest you, charge you and prosecute you,” Burns said.

Racist thoughts and actions say more about the person they come from than the person or people to whom they are directed, Burns said.

“If that is true, I pity you,” Burns said. “You are a broken human being in so, so many ways. But I hope that you find the help you so desperately need from what obviously poisons you, has poisoned you and continues to poison you.”

Burns recalled five years ago when anti-LGBTQ leaflets were plastered on light poles in the city that he also spoke out in no uncertain terms.

“To our LGBTQ+ community, whether you call Geneva home or visit Geneva, you have my word that your safety is our highest priority,” Burns said.

Anyone who tries to frighten the community “will fail spectacularly,” Burns said.

And referring to the person who painted the swastika, Burns said no matter if that person is a white nationalist or an antisemite, “your attempt to intimidate or frighten us has also failed.”

“Geneva will never tire from fighting on every level and in every way your constricted and contaminated view of the world and your sad, sickening sterile efforts to poison Geneva,” Burns said.

Swanson spoke to the aldermen and Burns, thanking them, police and various groups and individuals for their continuing support.

Calling the hydrant a “pride-rant,” Swanson said her goal in repainting it is because, “We want people to live in an area of safety, respect and peace.”

“I believe we can’t forget about this. It will not go away,” Swanson said. “We need to cover this infection that is hatred and treat it so it does not continue to fester unchecked until the situation is out of control.”

Third Ward Alderwoman Becky Hruby thanked Swanson for her comments.

“I could not agree with you more. I love your passion and I love your dedication. I love the message that you’re sending” Hruby said.

“I find it devastating there is so much hate in this world and for people to act so ignorantly,” Hruby said. “We’re all human. That’s the bottom line. It does not matter what your orientation is, it doesn’t matter what your preferences are, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is. We are all human. And the list of things we have in common far exceeds our differences. And I wish that we could embrace that and embrace each other’s differences and not feel scared or hatred toward anything that is different.”