DARTMOUTH, N.S. -- Jason Spurrell -- also known as Rouge Fatale -- didn't want to be angry but he needed to do something when he heard the home of a gay couple in Dartmouth was vandalized with homophobic graffiti.
Halifax Regional Police are investigating homophobic slurs painted on the wall outside the couple's apartment on Thursday.
The incident took place during Halifax's Pride week celebrations.
Spurrell, who is a well-known Halifax drag performer, turned to social media and wrote a Facebook post saying he was going to walk through the Ocean Breeze Estates where the couple lives on Saturday.
Soon after Spurrell made the post, hundreds of others wanted to attend.
Halifax Regional Police say there were about 150 people and there were no reported incidents.
Chris Cochrane -- or Elle Noir -- is this year's Halifax Pride parade ambassador and helped Spurrell organize the event.
"We have a community for a reason. The reason we call it a community is because we're all together," Spurrell said, noting one of the men reached out and thanked him.
"I don't know them personally but when you're part of the community it doesn't matter. If someone hurts, we all hurt," Spurrell said.
"I would hope anyone would do the same for me."
Spurrell said the Halifax Regional Police attended the event to provide protection and safety. He explained they contacted him to make sure they would know the route the group was taking, and to keep them safe.
"That is all that they have done. They have not invited themselves to the protest, they're just keeping us safe, and I cannot say no to that."
Morgan Manzer, who's on the board of directors for Halifax Pride, said the organization has ongoing conversations with the police as they provide safety at the Pride festival.
"We will have discussions with them about this incident, what's being done...to make sure that everyone in our community is safe and the perpetrators of this act are found and prosecuted," Manzer said.
"And, that folks who were personally affected in this incident feel safe in their home."
The incident, Manzer said, is a reminder that there's still work to be done.
"People are still feeling targeted, people are still feeling unsafe to be who they are in their own homes, in their own homes, in their own communities, in their own workplaces," Manzer said.
"It's really important that we continue to be visible and represent all the faces within our community and say 'Look here, we're strong, we're united, we're not going away and we're not going to be intimidated."'
