Someone Cut Down the Pride Ribbons on Main Street. Pittsford Is Responding.
The Short Version
- 60 of 63 permitted transgender pride ribbons were deliberately cut down from Pittsford Village lampposts on the evening of April 2 — installed by local nonprofit Pittsford CommUNITY for International Transgender Day of Visibility.
- Mayor Alysa Plummer called the act mean-spirited and deliberate; the Monroe County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation and is asking anyone with security footage from that evening to call (585) 753-4178.
- Pittsford CommUNITY president Tharaha Thavakumar addressed the Village Board directly, saying the removal sends a message to every resident who has ever questioned whether they truly belong in Pittsford.
- Anti-LGBTQ incidents targeting transgender people rose 10% nationally in 2025 according to GLAAD, with hateful vandalism the most common category — New York ranked sixth in the country with 49 incidents.
- The ribbons had been displayed in Pittsford the previous year in solidarity following the killing of transgender man Sam Nordquist — part of an ongoing effort to make visibility a consistent part of community life here.
Sixty of 63 transgender pride ribbons placed on Village lampposts were cut down on the evening of April 2, 2026 — removed deliberately, according to authorities, sometime around 9pm. The ribbons had been installed by Pittsford CommUNITY, a local nonprofit, with a permit, to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility. They were supposed to remain through April 4.
What happened next says more about Pittsford than the act itself.
What Happened
What Happened
Pittsford CommUNITY placed 63 ribbons bearing the colors of the transgender pride flag on Village lampposts beginning March 29. The organization had followed the proper process — applied for and received a Village permit. When volunteers returned to collect the ribbons on April 4, 60 of the 63 had been cut down and discarded.
According to WHAM 13, Pittsford Village Mayor Alysa Plummer described the act as "mean-spirited" and "deliberate," and asked anyone with nearby security footage to contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at (585) 753-4178. The Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation.
Tharaha Thavakumar, president of Pittsford CommUNITY, spoke directly about what the ribbons represented. They were not decoration. They were a signal — a visible marker that said to transgender residents and anyone else who feels marginalized: you are seen here, and you are welcome.
"It's a sign of belonging. When something like ribbons get taken down, it just tells people that we're not welcome here."
— Tharaha Thavakumar, president of Pittsford CommUNITY
The ribbons had also been displayed in Pittsford the previous year in solidarity following the killing of transgender man Sam Nordquist — an ongoing effort by local advocates to make visibility a regular part of community life here.
What Pittsford CommUNITY Said to the Board
What Pittsford CommUNITY Said to the Board
Thavakumar addressed the [Mayor and Board of Trustees directly](https://www.rochesterfirst.com/pittsford/pittsford-nonprofit-calls-for-response-after-transgender-awareness-ribbons-removed/) in a public comment session, calling on village leaders to take a clear public stance. The full public comment was shared on the Village's official website:
"This is about more than ribbons. It is about what kind of community we choose to be. When symbols of support are torn down, the message sent is not just to one group, it is heard by every resident who has ever wondered if they truly belong here."
The question she brought to the Board is one worth sitting with. Not as accusation. As genuine inquiry. What does it mean when a community that prides itself on safety and belonging cannot protect a permitted display — installed by neighbors, for neighbors — from being deliberately destroyed in the night?
The Broader Context
This did not happen in isolation. According to GLAAD's ALERT Desk, anti-LGBTQ incidents across the country increased in 2025, with incidents targeting transgender and gender-nonconforming people accounting for more than half of all tracked cases — a 10% rise from 2024. New York State reported 49 such incidents in 2025, sixth-highest in the nation. Hateful vandalism was the single most common category, accounting for 128 of the 1,042 tracked incidents nationwide.
What happened on Main Street on the evening of April 2 fits a pattern. That doesn't make it less worth naming locally. It makes it more worth naming.
What Belonging Actually Requires
What Belonging Actually Requires
Pittsford CommUNITY's public comment ended with a direct ask to the Board: speak clearly, say removing these ribbons was wrong, say that transgender neighbors are valued here, and say that the Village will not be silent when exclusion shows itself.
The mayor has already called the act what it is. The sheriff is investigating. The nonprofit that put up the ribbons is still here, still working, still asking the community to show up.
The ribbons are gone. The question they raised isn't.
What does it mean to belong to a place — not just to live there, but to have it claim you back?
If you have security footage from the evening of April 2 in the Village, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office is asking for your help. Contact them at (585) 753-4178.
