Cafe Marmalade at the Utah Pride Center opened this morning with an unwelcome addition. Vandals spray-painted the word FAG"S (sic) in large black letters on their sign facing 300 West.---
Utah Pride Center executive director Valerie Larabee says instilling fear in the community is the likely motivation of the vandal, so the center is making sure to respond with strength and reassurance to the community. The vandalism happened in the heart of Marmalade, one of Salt Lake City's neighborhoods known for a large gay community, at an organization whose sole focus is supporting the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual communities; Cafe Marmalade is on the first floor while the non-profit advocacy group is upstairs.
Video produced by City Weekly's @MartyFoy.
With abundant gay affirmation in Utah's big city, one might conclude the life of Utah's gays is all rainbows and Long Island ice teas, and this sort of thing has little impact. Recent suicides in Utah's queer community, however, seem to suggest that homophobia is alive, well and still powerful.
The vandalism was reported to Salt Lake City Police.
You saw it first at CityWeekly.net/NewsBlog. Thanks to City Weekly reader @Euphor for the news tip.
Follow Jesse Fruhwirth: |
Follow Marty Foy: |