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As rainbow flags rise in one part of Langley and crosswalks face vandalism in another, the two neighboring municipalities find themselves at a crossroads over how to show support for their 2SLGBTQIA+ residents.
Recent events have highlighted stark differences in how Langley City and the Township of Langley approach visibility and acceptance of their queer communities.
For families in both Langleys who have 2SLGBTQIA+ children, friends, or neighbors, these decisions about public symbols carry real weight. They signal whether their loved ones are truly welcome in the places they call home.
The contrast between the two municipalities' recent actions has sparked important conversations about what inclusion really means in practice.
A Flag Rises While a Crosswalk Faces Threats
On a sunny Monday in late July, about 30 people gathered outside Langley City Hall to watch the rainbow flag rise for the ninth consecutive year.
Mayor Nathan Pachal didn't mince words about why the ceremony mattered.
"They try to put us back in the closet, and they try to make us disappear because they just want us to go away. But guess what? We're not going away," Pachal told the crowd, speaking both as mayor and as a gay man who has been married for over 15 years.
Just a few kilometers away in Fort Langley, a different story was unfolding.
The rainbow crosswalk at Mary Avenue and Glover Roadâpainted in 2017 as a symbol of acceptanceâhad become a repeated target for vandals. Tire marks scarred its colorful stripes, and the Township was spending thousands to repaint it after each attack.
The difference in how each municipality responded to these challenges speaks volumes about their approaches to supporting queer residents.
The Controversy That Wasn't
In mid-July, Township Councillor Tim Baillie quietly added a motion to the council agenda that would have removed the Fort Langley Pride crosswalk and replaced it with artwork reflecting the area's "historical heritage."
The crosswalk would potentially be moved to a less visible locationâperhaps near Township Hall, Baillie suggested.
Local resident Mike Parker discovered the motion buried in the council agenda just three days before it was set for debate.
"There was no warning. No consultation. It was just buried in the agenda. People are shocked," Parker said. "This sends the wrong message... that we're hiding queer folks instead of standing with them."
The Langley Pride Society quickly mobilized, issuing a statement expressing "deep disappointment" with the proposal. They emphasized that visibility matters, especially for young people struggling with their identity.
Within days, community backlash had grown so strong that Baillie withdrew his motion before it could be debated. But his parting words raised eyebrows.
"To the people who think that they're going to coerce or bully... that's a real good way to make me stand," Baillie said at the meeting. "I am not a fan of backing down."
When Vandalism Becomes a Pattern
The push to move the crosswalk came after multiple incidents of vandalism. In September, and again in early November, witnesses watched in horror as vehicles performed extended burnouts on the rainbow stripes.
Brad Dirks, a lifelong Langley resident whose son is transgender, was participating in a ghost walk tour when the November incident occurred. The sound of screeching tires made his whole body tense up.
"You could see the smoke rising above the building; that's how long they were doing it for," Dirks recalled. "And then they were brazen enough to actually turn around and come back in the opposite direction in the other lane."
The vandalsâdescribed by witnesses as two white males in a pickup truckâspent nearly three minutes destroying the crosswalk before speeding away. RCMP are investigating both incidents as criminal mischief.
But for Dirks and other community members, the real issue isn't just the vandalismâit's how the community responds to it.
"Everybody would normally come together if a school window or a church window was broken," Dirks explained. "But for some reason, there seems to be a lot of room to have two sides when it comes to a rainbow crosswalk."
Different Approaches, Different Messages
While the Township considered moving its Pride symbol to avoid controversy, Langley City was doubling down on visibility. During the flag raising, Mayor Pachal shared a personal story that illustrated the difference.
"The other day, on social media, I was talking about a water fountain in a park, and someone was like, how gay are you? And I'm like, I'm pretty gay. I've been married for over 15 years," Pachal recalled. "And then the [online] response from the community is, what a stupid question. And you know, that really gives a warmth in my heart."
Caprice Stadnyk, president of the Langley Pride Society, emphasized what these symbols mean to the community.
"This flag isn't just fabric, it's a visible promise that Langley is a place where queer and trans people are valued, not just during Pride Month or August, but all year long," Stadnyk said at the City Hall ceremony.
The Society is planning Langley Pride Day 2025 for August 9, featuring all-ages daytime events and evening performances, including Queer As Funk, one of Canada's few predominantly queer bands.
Why Visibility Matters
Research shows that public displays of support for LGBTQ+ people can literally save lives.
A 2021 study from The Trevor Project found that LGBTQ youth who reported high levels of community acceptance were 50% less likely to attempt suicide than those who felt rejected.
For young people in Langley struggling with their identity, seeing a rainbow flag at City Hall or walking across a Pride crosswalk in the heart of Fort Langley sends a clear message: you belong here.
Desiree Cabecinha, co-chair of the BC Federation of Labour's 2SLGBTQIA+ caucus and a former Langley resident, sees the Township's proposed relocation as part of a troubling pattern across the province.
"We're seeing an uprise of transphobia, homophobia, and targeted vandalism across B.C.," Cabecinha said. "Instead of cracking down on the people responsible, this motion essentially punished the symbol of inclusion."
Moving Forward Together
For now, the Fort Langley crosswalk remains in its prominent location at Mary Avenue and Glover Road.
The Township has committed to consulting with the Langley Pride Society before making any changes. But the controversy has exposed deeper questions about how communities respond to hate.
Some argue that moving the crosswalk to avoid vandalism amounts to letting the vandals win. Others suggest that protecting the symbol from damage shows care for what it represents.
What's clear is that symbols alone aren't enoughâthey must be backed by genuine support and action.
As both Langleys move forward, residents are calling for more than just paint and fabric. They want education programs in schools, support for LGBTQ+ youth groups like Friends of Dorothy, and clear consequences for those who commit acts of hate.
Brad Dirks hopes to see vandals face community service, forcing them to repair the damage they cause. "Maybe that would be enough of a deterrent to minimize this kind of stuff," he suggested.
The tale of two Langleys shows that supporting LGBTQ+ residents requires more than good intentions.
It demands visible commitment, evenâor especiallyâwhen that visibility draws criticism.
As Mayor Pachal reminded the crowd at City Hall, rights can be taken away quickly. Keeping them requires communities to stand together, proudly and publicly, refusing to let hate push anyone back into the shadows.
For families across both municipalities, the message they want their councils to send is simple: everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and celebrated for who they are. Not just during Pride events, but every single day of the year.
References and Resources
(Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Dean Recksiedler
Wilbur Turner
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