Munich’s gay-themed maypole attacked by vandals
A maypole featuring depictions of gay and lesbian life in the German city of Munich has been subjected to a suspected homophobic attack.
The community resource was only erected last week. It cost more than 1,000 euros (£785) and featured scenes from the Glockenbachviertel neighborhood.
Sometime over the weekend vandals attacked the maypole with gray paint, and painted tablets that hang from the pole’s crossbeam were severely damaged.
The paint cannot be removed.
Conrad Breyer, spokesman for the Gay Communication and Culture Centre of Munich (SUB), told The Local:
“It could have been a stupid youth prank, but everywhere there were gay motifs, like a rainbow, exactly those points were painted. One could assume it’s an anti-gay act.”
“We are upset to an inordinate degree about this act of vandalism,” SUB Director Lars Fröhlich said in a statement on Monday.
“Five days ago the entire neighborhood, not just gays and lesbians, was putting this maypole up together and celebrating it with a party.
“Then a few people destroyed what many created with so much joy. This is totally unacceptable and makes us sad.”
Maypoles, while generally thought of as quintessentially English, are in fact most closely associated with the pagan Germanic tribes.
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