07/28/2025
WR rallies after flag burning
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By Jeff Sullivan
More than 70 residents came to the Perfect 10 Unisex Salon on Centre Street in West Roxbury on Tuesday morning to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
The impetus behind the rally stemmed from an incident last week, where on Wednesday morning salon owner Kanessa Alexander came to open her shop to find the Pride flag she keeps on her shop partially burned and left on a bench, presumably for her to find.
Alexander said the moment affected her deeply, and while not a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, she still wanted to “stand with them as human beings who exist, who matter, and who deserve to live without fear, discrimination, or disrespect.”
At the rally, Alexander credited a friend of hers who pushed her to bring the issue to light.
“There are no words to express the way I felt when this hate crime – and that’s exactly what it was – occurred, but I also want to express what’s happening now and that’s the love that I feel,” she said. “I appreciate you all showing up, and for me personally, I have to thank my friend, because he answered my call at 2 a.m., and the support I received from him made this happen.”
Alexander said she wanted this to be a starting point for the West Roxbury community.
“It’s unfortunate this event occurred, but sometimes things happen for a reason,” she said. “And while I wish that it never happened, when I see what’s now occurring, I want us to ride off this momentum and keep it going.”
Resident Maggie Bagarella said she felt it was important to stand up for her community. “Why are we doing this?” she said. “I’m gay, and this brings me back to when I was hiding in bars without letting people know who I was. I feel like we’re going backward instead of going forward.”