A Genshin Impact character is being called "satanic" by parents upset over his inclusion on a pro-LGBT middle school mural.
In stories from Today and NPR, a chaotic, hurtful scene at a school board meeting in Grant, Michigan is said to have stemmed from a mural painted in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. The painting was created by a high school student who won a competition to decorate a wall inside a teen health center, but parents of children who attend the school allege the mural contains LGBT propaganda and imagery of witchcraft and satanism.
The reason we're talking about this, of course, is because the mural includes a picture of a mask inspired by Genshin Impact character Xiao, which some opponents of the mural have misinterpreted as an image of Satan's head. Other parts of the mural some parents protested include a student wearing pink and white stripes similar to the transgender flag, another student in rainbow-striped attire, and other students dressed in colors represented in the bisexual flag.
There's also an image of what appears to be a hamsa hand, which NPR describes as "a symbol for the hand of God in many cultures."
A teen painted a mural at a Michigan school with a colorful scene and simple message: "Stay healthy."Outraged parents convinced themselves it contains LGBTQ propaganda and Satanist messages."Fix their brains," one woman said at a school board meeting.https://t.co/TOmRJq4mhhOctober 20, 2022
"It's discrimination against Christian beliefs," one man said, adding that it equates to "hate material."
"I feel like she did a really good job finding excuses to defend the things she put on," another attendee said. "None of us are that stupid."
One woman argued that "adults [who] pretend things that are like real life" have "a mental illness" and argued for the use of counselors and bi-polar medication to "fix their brains."
In terms of the Genshin Impact character, Xiao is notably an immortal defender hired by one of the world's seven supreme gods to kill demons, so the whole Satan allegation definitely doesn't track. In terms of the other elements in the painting, the student said it's to promote an inclusive environment at her school.
"I put my artwork up there to make people feel welcomed," the student artist said through tears in defense of her work.
Other parents came to the student's defense, including Tracey Hargreaves, who has two children who attend the Grant Public School system.
"I am a conservative, right-wing, gun-loving American," Hargreaves said. "And I've never seen more bigoted people in my life."
"The meeting turned into a hate fest. Usually there are 10 people at these meetings, 50 showed up. It wasn't even about the mural," Hargreaves told Today. "People were talking about how we need to pray the gay away."
"Everyone’s accepted at our clinic," said Lori Donati, an employee of the middle school's health center. "What she was trying to say [is that] everyone's accepted no matter what your background is or who you are. You are loved and accepted and that's exactly our philosophy with our office, too."
School district officials recently announced a decision by "all parties involved" to remove certain elements, including the mask and the hamsa hand, from the mural. The student wearing the pink-and-white striped shirt and the one wearing rainbow stripes will stay.
"At Grant Public Schools, we are committed to promoting civility, respect, understanding and inclusion. We do not condone, and we will not tolerate discrimination, harassment or bullying whether in word, deed or on social media," reads a statement from the district.
