September 4, 2014
Trailer Park Up in Arms After Lesbian Grandma Harassed
Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
When vandals spray-painted "Die Dyke" on the side of the home of a lesbian grandmother in Rainier, Oregon, her neighbors were right there to support her, with some saying they suspected the new manager of the trailer park as being behind the harassment.
KOIN.com reports that Melanie Powell had lived in the Rainier trailer park for 25 years without any issues, until several months ago, when a new property manager took over, and began to issue her notice after notice, constantly harassing her. She said it's because she is openly lesbian.
More recently, Powell discovered homophobic, threatening slurs spray painted on the side of her trailer. "I stood up, turned around and looked down," said Powell. "I seen two boys down there," but by the time she went outside, they were gone.
"I got my gay pride flag hanging out front. I've kept my business inside my house. I don't put it in people's faces," said Powell.
Powell said that the new property manager, Maureena Schmaing, immediately gave her a list of repairs to complete within 30 days, including painting, a porch, and a roof she said she just replaced last year.
"When I started working on all this here, I get this handed to me: 'Stop building immediately, not park approved,'" said Powell, although the original paperwork said that the only thing Powell needed to have approved was the paint color.
Towleroad reports that Powell said that she was "tired of being yelled at, screamed at, vulgar language, being accused of doing stuff we are not doing."
Her neighbor William Pierce confirmed her account, saying, "I've watched it enough where I had to come down here myself and stop the manager from yelling at her the way she was."
Schmaing denies she is targeting Powell because of her sexual orientation, and claims that if the woman needs an extension of her Sept. 7 deadline to complete repairs, she will give her up to 90 days.
"I'm a landlord. I follow the Manufacturing Housing Oregon Law, and I follow all the Title 10 Law with any park site I manage," said Schmaing.
Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
