After two Pride crosswalks were repeatedly vandalized in Lethbridge, Alberta, these heroes took it upon themselves to stand guard the night before the city's Pride parade to make sure nobody fucked with them again.
Just weeks earlier, the crosswalks painted in the colours of the pride and trans flags were intentionally damaged with skid marks.
After that, someone threw black paint across the rainbow crosswalk.
According to Lethbridge News Now, most of the crosswalk guardians are athletes from the University of Lethbridge.
@uLethbridge athletes & friends up all night to guard @LethPrideFest crosswalks from vandalism.… https://t.co/asj0YeHuYF
Shot putter Peter Millman told the news outlet they felt a sense of obligation to guard the crosswalks from any further damage the night before the Pride parade.
"If us sitting out here overnight is a bit of a deterrent, then it's the least we can do, I guess," he said. "Hopefully everybody will have a really happy Pride today."
Morrison, who tweeted his appreciation for the athletes, said the whole thing was very emotional for him. "I'm so happy I saw it," he said.
So amazing. After the @LethPrideFest sidewalks were vandalized, this group is spending the night making sure no on… https://t.co/Vk1Il55b3j
Morrison added that LGBT rights are still not universally celebrated in some parts of Alberta, and it's always positive to see people, including allies, standing up for the queer community.
"It's about supporting your neighbours and supporting your peers," he said.
CORRECTION
The crosswalk was defaced with paint a few days after skid marks were found on the pride and trans crosswalks. An earlier version of this post had the order of the incidents reversed.