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Michael Franti shows support for Inclusive Salmon Arm campaign

Roots & Blues headliner encourages festival goers to do the same
Martha Wickett
Martha Wickett
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Michael Franti and Spearhead perform on the main stage at the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival Aug. 17. (Jodi Brak/Salmon Arm Observer)

Michael Franti, musician and headliner at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, showed his online support for Salmon Arm’s rainbow crosswalk.

He said, as he posed on the sidewalk: “Showing solidarity for Salmon Arm’s LGBTQ community this weekend at the The Roots and Blues Festival by supporting the #inclusivesalmonarm campaign.”

Showing solidarity for Salmon Arm's LGBTQ community this weekend at the The Roots and Blues Festival by supporting the #inclusivesalmonarm campaign. The city of Salmon Arm has experienced repeated acts of hateful vandalism against it's Rainbow Crosswalk, which represents an inclusive, safe space for LGTBQ folks and the entire community. "Make SA Straight Again" is one hateful message that has been spray painted over the bright colours in an attempt to shame them in addition to multiple tire burnout incidents which required the crosswalk to be repainted within one week of it first being installed. But, the community has not been deterred and is standing firm with a social media campaign: #inclusivesalmonarm We stand with you!!! #stayhuman #soulrocker #inclusion #LGBTQ #britishcolumbia #Canada

A post shared by Michael Franti (@michaelfranti) on

Franti also spoke about the crosswalk and showing support for LGBTQ residents and visitors to Salmon Arm during his main stage performance at the Roots & Blues festival, encouraging festival attendees to take their own photos of the crosswalk and share them with the #inclusivesalmonarm hashtag.

Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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