Pride flag found burned at University of B.C. during annual LGBTQ celebration

Image Credit: Shutterstock

February 10, 2016 - 4:30 PM

VANCOUVER - The University of British Columbia is speaking out after a rainbow Pride flag raised for the school's annual OUTWeek was found burned on the flagpole.

In a statement released Tuesday, the university condemned the incident as an act of hate that violated the school's deeply held values of equity, inclusion and respect.

OUTWeek is a yearly celebration of gender and sexual diversity organized by the UBC Pride Collective, which launched last Friday.

The flag was raised during the opening ceremony and was torched sometime over B.C.'s Family Day long weekend.

The Pride Collective posted a statement on Facebook saying its members are incredibly shocked and upset by the incident.

Organizers decided to cancel a march planned for Wednesday out of concern for participants' safety but are opting to move forward with other OUTWeek events. Campus security and the RCMP are investigating.