Tiny picturesque town Littleton, NH, tears itself apart over 'subversive ... trends now
A New Hampshire town seemingly ripped itself apart over a LGBT mural that left residents questioning their values after a state senator voiced concerns over their content.
The murals in Littleton were installed last year and depict scenes of colorful trees among stars and flowers, one of which appears to be a dandelion. A local nonprofit that had them installed said they had been meant to 'beautify blighted properties' and promote a more welcoming environment.
State senator and town selectman Carrie Gendreau however raised her concerns about the content, due to one of them having a rainbow in it.
Addressing a local meeting on the murals last year, she told board members: 'We need to very careful', and urged residents to 'research what the mural really means. I don't want that to be in our town.'
After word spread throughout the town, which has a population of roughly 6,000 people, locals had mixed views on the comments.
A New Hampshire town seemingly ripped itself apart over a LGBT mural that left residents questioning their values after a state senator voiced concerns over their content
State senator and town selectman Carrie Gendreau raised her concerns about the content of the mural, due to one of them having a rainbow in it
A local nonprofit that had them installed said they had been meant to 'beautify blighted properties' and promote a more welcoming environment
Kerri Harrington, an acupuncturist who had respected Gendreau's views, told the New York Times: 'I knew our politics were different, I knew she was religious, but there are a lot of religious people here. This was the first time I realized she had that agenda.'
Harrington had helped start North Country Pride which planned and paid for the mural.
The nonprofit was founded in 2020 to build a more visible support for the LGBT community in the region.
After she approached Gendreau to talk about the mural, she said the state senator urged her to read 'The Return of the Gods,' by Jonathan Cahn.
Cahn, a doomsday evangelist and best-selling author, warns of the decline of America into evil and says gay rights are an example of decay.
Harrington said she read the book and could understand why Gendreau was upset, but it left her worried about what might happen next.
Residents in Littleton had until then lived their lives in harmony despite their political differences, but this caused a divide in the community.
The murals in Littleton were installed last year and depict scenes of colorful trees among stars and flowers, one of which appears to be a dandelion
Kerri Harrington (second from right) had helped start North Country Pride which planned and paid for the mural
Gendreau, who is an evangelical Christian, told the outlet she got calls from across the globe including Australia, as people denounced her views.
'I told them, "I hope God opens your vision." I told them, "I love you, and I don't want to fight back,"' Gendreau told the outlet.
Gendreau said she knew when she first criticized the mural that most people would not understand. She said the iris was a dangerous symbol because Iris was the Greek goddess of rainbow and that children needed protected from demonic forces.
'We only understand God's word when we have the spirit of God in us,' she said. 'They don't get it, and I understand that.'
Gendreau had occasionally used her faith in her politics, telling former town manager Jim Gleason when he was hard that 'God wants you in Littleton.'
After three years in the role, Gleason resigned earlier this year after Gendreau's comments about the mural. Citing a 'toxic work environment', he said the comments made were painful after his gay son Patrick died aged 35 from pancreatitis.
Soon after the comments were made by Gendreau, residents started flooding the local newspaper with angry readers
