On the morning of April 14, 2010 New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center staff arrived to find a torched rainbow flag draped on the front of their building. They responded to the ignorance by unfurling an even larger rainbow flag during a 5 PM EDT ceremony yesterday.
This is a statement about the incident from their website:
Acts of hate must not be tolerated! Actions like this are menacing to our community and, if not addressed, can lead to an environment that allows more heinous acts, such as verbal attacks, property damage and physical violence. Showing our solidarity now will empower our community and send a message to the public that we will not be intimidated or threatened.
The Center is a beacon of safety and hope for LGBT New Yorkers and our building stands as an emblem of our community's presence in the city. The Center is visited over 300,000 times every year by people in search of support, safety and transformation. More than 1,000 young people come through our doors annually searching for acceptance and a place where they feel comfortable expressing their true selves.
Cowardly acts of hateful speech must be responded to with acts of courage and unity.
This is the desperate, and despicable act of people who know they are on the wrong side of the moral arc of the universe and history. It is beginning to bend toward justice for GLBT people.
It's our job to make sure its momentum doesn't get blunted by the Forces of Intolerance.
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