Did you think the debates about products in the rainbow colors of the LGBT+ flag were behind us since Pride month was in June? A drama comes to show us the opposite. On August 18, 2023, in a small shop in Cedar Glen, California, a shopkeeper named Laura Ann Carlton, 66, saw a man get angry at his rainbow flag at the window and start tearing him off, before getting into a heated argument with him. The police barely had time to ascertain the death of this mother, shot to death.
As reported by Keeper, police managed to locate the armed suspect who had fled, confront him, before shooting him in the face of his resistance. If the man cannot be identified, he leaves behind an entire grieving and traumatized family: Laura Ann Carlton had a husband and nine children. Without directly identifying with the LGBT+ community, she has been a fervent ally. She is also a whole community that is terrified of it.
‘This intolerance must stop’: director Paul Feig’s tribute to Laura Ann Carlton
Among the tributes that were paid to Laura Ann Carlton, the public one by director Paul Feig (My best friends in 2011, ghost Buster in 2016, or to spy in 2015) particularly resonates. In the caption of an Instagram post of her and him, posted on August 20, 2023, the director writes the following:
“Our wonderful friend Lauri Carlton (seen in this photo) was murdered yesterday at her Magpi store in Lake Arrowhead by a 27-year-old man who didn’t like that she had a large pride flag hanging outside her store. He tore it up and when she confronted him about it, he shot her. We are all devastated for her husband Bort, her family and the LGBTQ+ community, to whom Lauri was a true ally. Her alleged killer was later shot by the San Bernardino police and therefore no longer poses a threat to the community. But this intolerance must stop. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community needs to realize that her words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent and loving people. Let us all continue to move forward with tolerance and love. Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain. »
Whether it’s the international chess federation that wants to ban trans women from women’s competitions, Elon Musk that wants to ban the word cisgender from Twitter, the homophobic ambushes that are multiplying in France, the attacks on LGBT+ centers, or even Algeria, which wants to eliminate all products with the colors of the rainbow, the global political climate seems to be tense towards queer people.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
