A Michigan man allegedly set his own home on fire, killing five of his pets, in an attempt to be the victim of a hate crime. Police believe this was a hate hoax and have charged him with arson.
Nikki Joly, a transgender gay-rights activist, was seen by police on surveillance cameras buying gasoline the day of the arson that was likely used to start the fire at his home. Other circumstantial evidence puts him at his home when the fire was started, contradicting claims Joly made in his initial police filing.
Michigan police say a transgender, gay rights activist tried to fabricate a hate crime by setting his home on fire. https://t.co/ZEn8cJ9l5g
— WNDU (@WNDU) February 26, 2019
Joly has been extremely active in fighting for transgender and gay rights in his community in Jackson, Michigan. He was even name 2018 Citizen of the Year:
LGBTQ rights activist Nikki Joly is 2018 Citizen of the Year
It drew unprecedented crowds to City Council meetings and passed, despite some fervent opposition, so Nikki Joly grabbed hold of the momentum and went further. He put together the first Jackson Pride Parade and Festival, complete with a RuPaul impersonator in a leopard jumpsuit on Michigan Avenue.
Five days later, Joly’s house on Pringle Avenue, shared by his partner Chris Moore, burned in a fire determined to be arson.
“He knows that he is a target. And that is a hard way to live,” his friend Kim Cwynar said. “And yet, he perseveres, every single day. Stepping up to the plate, standing up for others, speaking up for others.”
For that tenacity and strength, his part in the historic legislation and his continued community volunteerism, Joly, 53, of Jackson has been named the 2018 Citizen of the Year.
My Take
If he is proven to be the person responsible for burning down his own home, the question that must be asked is, “Why?” The obvious answer may be that he wanted to get attention, but it seemed as if h was getting plenty of attention even before his home was burned to the ground.
These are strange times we live in. Victimhood seems to be the pinnacle of success in the eyes of many on the left. As real victims in other countries fight for their lives, why do some Americans seek to persecute themselves?
