What Happened to the Welcome Sign on Lansing’s Eastside?

Lansing's Eastside is a unique community.

Serving as a buffer between East Lansing and the downtown of the state capital, this neighborhood, appropriately, is a bit like those two communities blended together. The east side is home to MSU students, yuppies, Lansing lifers, and a bit of everything else.

That distinct melting pot feel makes Lansing's Eastside one of the most welcoming places you'll ever find. And that's what makes this photo so sad.

Welcome to the Eastside sign smashed to bits this morning.
by u/maladeleine in lansing

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This is the sign — or what's left of it — that greets you as you enter Lansing's Eastside in the median of Michigan Avenue, situated between Mac's Bar to the south and Feldman Chevrolet to the north.

So what happened? Some have speculated the sign was intentionally destroyed by bigots upset over LGBTQ+-friendly displays. That theory definitely has some legs given the context.

The Eastside welcome sign is regularly decorated each June in celebration of Pride Month, part of the entire neighborhood's renown for advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. In recent years, bigots have stolen Pride flags decorating the welcome sign area.

One redditor purportedly witnessed the welcome sign's destruction early Monday morning.

The cops were on scene as well as a tow truck. Truck flew over the median smashing the sign then hit the tree. 4:56 a.m - it was a Ram two tone red primary and tan moldings.

If the sign was ruined in an act of hate, it's a real shame. To see a literal symbol of welcoming desecrated by the misguided bigotry of someone supposedly motivated by faith is utter hypocrisy. As a Christian myself, I've never understood how some members of my faith can take Christ's words about loving one another and taking care of the marginalized as cues to demonize, hate, and persecute those who are different.

Some people need to reread the Bible, and pay extra special attention to the red font this time.