Unity residents who signed a petition opposing the town’s embrace of “Pride Month” in May have found themselves targeted by the creator of an anonymous website that lists their names, addresses, and images scraped from their social media accounts.
In order to have their information removed from the website, the site’s creator is demanding a public statement of apology.
The website was created after 100 Unity residents signed a petition calling on the Unity Select Board to rescind approval of a proposal to decorate town property for Pride Month, a month that left-wing advocates have dedicated to celebrating people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender.
Unity gave a grant of over $1,200 to the organization “Diversity in Unity” to paint rainbows on the town’s crosswalks and hang up flags.
On Saturday, May 13, a Unity resident gathered 100 signatures on a petition to “stop ALL decorating of Unity town property in support of Pride Month.”
The petition was ruled invalid by Unity’s town attorney. The town employee who conducted the review of the petition determined whether the petition signatories were registered or non-registered voters. [Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the “Rs” on the petitions indicated that a town employee had checked for party identification.]
In the weeks that followed, contentious debate over the decorations sprang up on an unofficial town Facebook page, “Taxpayers of Unity, Maine.”
On May 24, an anonymous individual created a website — “Unity Doesn’t Hate” — in order to expose and shame Unity residents who had signed the petition and force them into public apologies.
Whoever created the website obtained the petition after it was given to a Unity resident who filed a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) request, thereby obtaining names of Unity residents who had objected to the rainbow decorations.
The Maine Wire obtained a copy of the FOAA request for the petition, which was submitted by Steve Czarny, who does graphic design and social media work for Diversity in Unity.
Despite being the person who submitted the records request for the petition, Czarny denied that he or anyone associated with Diversity in Unity is behind the website.
“As soon as I got the copy of that petition from the town office I distributed that across a couple different social networks, so it was out there,” Czarny said in a phone interview Monday.
“I don’t know anything about who’s hosting the website, I know it’s great and I love it,” Czarny said.
“Our group has been pretty forward about leading with love,” he added.
Unity Selectman tells creator of petition they might be committing a hate crime
According to additional public records obtained by the Maine Wire, the town administrative assistant Kari Hunt sent an email on May 18 to the town’s attorney regarding concerns over the petition.
Unity Selectman Tony Avila told the creator of the petition that they might be committing a hate crime by submitting the petition, according to Hunt.
“Tony Avila, our newest Selectboard member, saw the petition and out of concern contacted a family member of the creator of the petition, concerned that the petition might be a hate crime and to have someone look at it before submitting it to the town,” Hunt said in her email.
Petitioning a government office is not, in fact, a hate crime.
Hunt also asked the town’s attorney if she should give Czarny a copy of the petition, because Avila had “safety concerns for the people who signed the petition and [was] worried something may happen to them.”
“Is there anything the town can do to restrict or prevent or implement a policy for future events that would discourage hate and discontent?” Hunt asked the attorney.
The attorney, whose name was redacted in the FOAA-obtained document, responded by telling Hunt that she should provide Czarny with the petition with nothing redacted, as it is a public record.
The attorney added that because the petition does not call for a town meeting vote, the Select Board is not required to take any action on it.
Below is a copy of Hunt’s email to the town attorney and the attorney’s response:
“Unity Doesn’t Hate” demands residents apologize for social media posts
The “Unity Doesn’t Hate” website operator encourages Unity residents to inform on their fellow residents by submitting screenshots of their social media posts, many of which can be seen on the “Taxpayers of Unity, Maine” Facebook page.
“While the initial resistance was justified as a concern about taxpayer dollars being used to celebrate a holiday that did not represent everyone in the community, the online discussions quickly devolved into hate speech, revealing that the motivations behind the resistance had little to do with funding,” the site admin said.
In order to have your name and address removed from the site, the administrator requires you to write a “retraction and a public apology.”
“Please send an explanation of your regret to: makeamends@unitydoesnthate.com” the site says.
“See someone that you know and care about on this site? Use this as an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about why they may feel the way they do, and to share how your experiences have given you a different perspective,” it says.
The site admin says that it is posting the petition signer’s names and addresses for “informative purposes only,” and that they do not endorse “harassment, direct action, or any form of harmful behavior towards the individuals mentioned.”
The admin explains that he or she has received zero apologies, even though in their opinion the petition signers should feel “disappointed,” “regretful,” “afraid” and “ashamed.”
“Despite a small mountain of emails sharing thanks, encouragement, and support, the site has not received a single message of apology, regret, concession, or compromise from anyone featured on its pages during this time,” the admin says.
Although Czarny denied making the website, one Thorndike resident, Doug Nye, whose posts to the taxpayer Facebook page are the centerpiece of the website’s gallery, believes Czarny to be behind the site.
“It has come to my attention that I am the featured hater on Steve Czarny’s hatefull [sic] doxing website,” Nye said in a June 6 Facebook post.
“This guy is a maximum creep and I am sure he is reading this so be forewarned Steve you have crossed the delicate line of fascism,” he said. “
Nye said in his post that he will be exploring legal recourse against Czarny.
UPDATE: We have corrected a statement that the “Taxpayers of Unity” Facebook page is an official town page — it is an unofficial town page.
We also originally stated that sidewalks were decorated — it was only crosswalks, and that Doug Nye is a Unity resident — he is a Thorndike resident.
Sounds like there is plenty of hate in Unity, if you doubt it try nd have a Christian month. Watch the left freak out. No one is more in tolerant than the left.
Doug Nye is a Thorndike resident. Not a Unity one. Just for clarification.
To the author of this “news piece”,
Your article states the Taxpayers of Unity Facebook page is an official town page, but it is NOT. Re read the email from the town office, as it clearly states it is an UNofficial town page. Also, it was CROSS walks NOT sidewalks that were requested and subsequently painted, again that is in the email from the town office. Please check your facts that you have contradicted yourself in this article by attaching the town email. This is the kind of thing that has only fueled the hate going on in the town of Unity. Misinformation. No town property was ever proposed to be decorated. Local businesses, privately owned, and a state roadway, so that is another reason the petition was not valid as it was asking to stop town property from being decorated and there was no town property including in the plan. Please do better checking facts next time.
Signed- A Christian Republican who just appreciates facts not more incorrect information causing more hate amongst neighbors.
The admin explains that he or she has received zero apologies, even though in their opinion the petition signers should feel “disappointed,” “regretful,” “afraid” and “ashamed.”
Afraid? Really?
So the policy is apologize or be fearful. Do you think this helps you cause?
For some reason I have been drawn into this controversy because of posts that I made on my personal FB page. None of my posts concerned the controversy in Unity and were posts of me simply stating my opinions on various topics, some as inane as seeking homes for my kittens. Other posts selected by the “hate site” were me raising questions about philosphical ideas and national news events. All of these post were wholly unrelated to Unity and would not meet the standard as “hate”. My concern is that this website pridefully claims that it has been shared world wide and has thousands of views in dozens of countries. My concern is that among these viewers there might arise an unstable person who would feel justified in seeking retribution for the supposed hate that my name is being associated with. This even applies to my name and personal posts being shared on this website.
In reply to Fact checker it appears that your statement ” No town property was ever proposed to be decorated’ is inaccurate as banners and flags adorned the town hall and Library from what I have observed in the various news reports. Also, I believe< the town provided funds to purchase these flags. I could be wrong but that is what it appears to be .
Occupy Wall.Street tactics.
Same leadership is running the show.
As a fellow Christian Republican fact checker I must concur that by contradictory statements regarding sidewalk and crosswalk you have essentially invalidated everything in your article as fake news.
I dont believe spiteful, hateful and questionably funded Unity Doesnt Hate and its affiliated diversityunity dot org would engage in subversive and abusive behavior targeting locals who share a majority opinion regarding the extreme measures to overwhelm towns, cities and villages with lgbtq+ propaganda. The pride parades were multitudes larger in funding and business/political engagement than Christmas/veterans day/memorial day and Independence Day combined. We got a couple fire trucks and a gathering at the cemetery of fallen heroes.
You guys got a block party that lasted hours and national celebrations stretching from mid-May until July 3rd. Painting crosswalks, parades, flags, drag queen storytime for children, libraries filled with graphic sex manuals, changing laws, unaccountable access to children regarding sexual fetish and their genitals and on and on.
Great job fellow Christian Republican fact checkers, lets keep em honest.
Doug Nye, welcome to tolerance. Contact a lawyer and get some remuneration for publication of personal information (doxxing), as well as targeted harassment by a group who funded and directed the website and its author. $$$$
Chesire Cat-
You will notice that one of the names listed on their website now has a yellow line covering the signature. This person apologized and claimed they were “Deceived at time of signing”. Never apologize, it only emboldens their actions. This website demonstrably silenced someone’s opinion, therefore it will be expanded. Mission accomplished.
Doug Nye I do know there was TIF money granted to buy flags and I the last I saw none were at the Town OFFICE (If by town hall you mean the community center, that is owned by Unity Barn Raisers (UBR) and is private) and the library is also not owned by the town and is a private entity, so to my knowledge there still are no town owned property that have been decorated. That said, I do not agree at all with the website unity doesnt hate dot org. It to me, does not promote inclusiveness and love that I was lead to believe the unity diversity group was using as their mission statement of sorts when this started. In my opinion the diversity groups should strongly encourage the person or persons who started and maintain the unitydoesnt hate dot org website to shut it down. I have seen a lot of hate amongst both sides of this and its is very sad to see people I have known my entire life that are caring kind people on both sides at each others necks. I do hope for the town there can be a solution to all of this and everyone can just go back to being neighbors and co exist in a friendly manner even if opinions or beliefs differ. I will be listening closely to the selectmans meetings recordings again to be sure of the facts, as this article has some truth and some misinformation as do many of the other “news” articles that have been published. To all the citizens of Unity, hang in there, we must get through this and get our town back.
Thank you for making the corrections you have. You should also correct that nothing about voters being Republican or not was recorded. The R and NR on the bottom of the pages is how many of the signers were Registered voters vs. Not Registered. Nothing to do with their party affiliation.
Just Clarifiying, they did. These news places really need to get the facts correct before publishing this stuff. I am glad you pointed that out. All this misinformation especially when labeled as NEWS make this entire mess worse because people are believing things that are not facts, even by the media. I pray this all stops very soon. It is so upsetting.