CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa photographer said she’s combating hate with love.

A city crew painted a rainbow crosswalk in Czech Village at the end of May. That rainbow prompted homophobic comments online.

After seeing the online comments, photographer Jen Stillions came up with a project to take free pictures at the crosswalk of anyone in the Cedar Rapids LGBTQ community.

“I saw the Czech Village post about—with a picture of the rainbow, and I was really excited to see that. I used to live in Czech Village. And then I started reading the comments,” said Stillions.

“A couple of them stopped me in my tracks,” she added. “There was one with four rainbows making up a swastika. And I felt like throwing up.”

Stillions said she had two options.

“I could either go keyboard warrior and fight with every single one of them. Or I could use that hatred to fuel my own love. And so that’s why I’m doing this.”

Stillions put out a call on her own Facebook page saying she’d post up for a few hours at the intersection Wednesday afternoon and take free pictures for anyone in the Cedar Rapids LGBTQ community.

And the community showed up.

“A beautiful little rainbow that was painted is just the perfect way to celebrate,” said Sam Drish, who came to get his picture taken.

“We are here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been here and now more than ever, we need to stand up show up and be present,” he added.

“I just want them to know that they’re loved,” said Stillions.

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In a rare event, a white bison calf was born in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Park visitor and wildlife photographer Erin Braaten was there at just the right time to practically witness the calf’s birth in Yellowstone’s famed and wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.

“The afterbirth, the placenta was still there, and the calf was just standing up,” she told Cowboy State Daily during a telephone conversation Wednesday before she and her family headed back out of cellphone service.

Braaten is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer from Kalispell, Montana. She and her family visit Yellowstone two or three times a year, but she never dreamed she’d be lucky enough to see such a rarity as a white bison calf taking its first steps.

How Rare?

Wild white bison calves are very rare, according to the National Bison Association.

A white bison calf was born in May 2023 at Bear River State Park near Evanston.

That calf, however, was white because of genetics from Charolais cattle, whereas the wild calf born in Yellowstone is likely a pure product of nature.

Cowboy State Daily reached out to the association and the National Park Service, which manages Yellowstone’s wildlife, to confirm the rarity of the wild white bison in the park, but did not hear back before this story was posted.

‘I thought Maybe It Was A Coyote’

Braaten said that at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the day was going like a typical visit to Yellowstone, as she and her family drove in preparing for a camping trip.

Then she caught a glimpse of something that made the trip anything but typical.

“We were just driving along, and there were some bison crossing the road. I was looking back, and I saw what I thought maybe was a coyote,” she said.

But a closer look revealed a true wonder.

“We were totally surprised,” she said. “It was a white bison calf.”

A Sign Of Hope

Braaten and her family stopped to admire the little calf and its mother. And she managed to get some photos from a safe, respectful distance.

“The calf was so tiny, it was amazing,” she said, adding that there was no way to determine whether it was a male or female.

She said that they planned to go back to the area later Wednesday to see if they could catch another look, and perhaps some more photos of the white calf.

Braaten said she has Native American heritage, and from what she understands, the birth of a white Bison calf has profound meaning. It’s a symbol of hope, and that was good to see given the current state of things in America.

“It’s a great blessing. It’s a good omen,” she said. “It means there could be a good change coming.”

Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.