As the center’s sign still dangled by a thread to its post above the door, Bensel taped a transgender pride flag and a progress pride flag over the plywood. On Tuesday morning, Bensel found that brick in the center’s library and put it on a table for a VTDigger reporter to see.īy noon, the shattered window had already been covered up by a piece of plywood. In 2007, a brick was thrown into the organization’s former office on Elmwood Avenue.
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This is not the first time someone has broken windows at the Pride Center. “Burlington must continue to be a safe and welcoming city for the LGBTQ+ community.” “I was very troubled and angered to learn about the vandalism at the Pride Center of Vermont this morning,” Weinberger said in a statement. Taylor Small April 26, 2022īurlington Mayor Miro Weinberger also condemned the incident, vowing to use the city’s “full resources to investigate who committed this crime and why.” I am holding my #LGBTQ Community in my heart this morning following the news of the devastating vandalism that occurred at I cannot fathom the hate it took to commit such an act, but love will always be more powerful than hate ?️?? /uXgLIvNoT6- Rep. “I cannot fathom the hate it took to commit such an act, but love will always be more powerful than hate,” wrote Small, who also serves as the Pride Center’s education program manager. Taylor Small, P/D-Winooski, characterized the incident as “devastating vandalism” in a tweet on Tuesday morning. “From a preliminary walk-through, it doesn’t seem like anybody entered,” they said.
There did not appear to be anything stolen or damaged inside the center’s office, Bensel said. “It just seemed to intensify,” Bensel said of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. Shortly after, Vermont Republicans called out legislators who supported a bill that would allow children to seek out certain types of medical care affirming their gender without parental consent.īensel also pointed to the killing of Fern Feather, a transgender woman, as a further act of violence against LGBTQ+ Vermonters. The center began receiving more hate mail earlier this month after Fox News host Laura Ingraham ridiculed a Burlington School District webinar on sexuality, Bensel said. “When the center is targeted with violence, it’s personal for them.”īensel sees the damage to the center as part of a string of incidents that have marked a “shift in the climate in Vermont,” they said.
"We're the physical representation of the LGBTQ+ community," Bensel told VTDigger. Staffers at the Pride Center are treating the damage as an act of vandalism, said Mike Bensel, the center's executive director. Burlington police are investigating the incident. Other tenants of the building who arrived around 7:45 Tuesday morning discovered the shattered door and found two chunks of concrete inside the office’s entryway. The person then hurries away from the center’s South Champlain Street office. Security camera footage of the incident obtained by VTDigger shows a person in dark clothes and a cap walking up to the center’s glass door around midnight and throwing two solid objects into it. Photo by Jack Lyons/VTDiggerīURLINGTON - A person threw two chunks of concrete into the Pride Center of Vermont’s headquarters early Tuesday morning, unsettling members of the LGBTQ+ community amid a rash of hostile incidents in recent weeks.
Purchase here.Pride Center of Vermont Executive Director Mike Bensel, right, tapes a transgender pride flag over a shattered glass door after a person threw a chunk of concrete through it early Tuesday morning. This shirt goes up to a 56″ chest on ModCloth. (Fun fact: This is called a “Ringer” tee because of the contrasting color ringing the neckline and sleeves). This fun and airy ringer tee from ModCloth is perfect for a summer pride BBQ. If you find a shirt you like, just snag it! No worries about which section of the store it comes from. Note on Gender: While the retail world insists on having 2 sections (“mens” and “womens”), we know that there’s no such thing. This post has OUTFIT & LOOK ideas for 2019 Pride, some of which I’ll be rocking on my Instagram in June.įor folks who like to be a little more casual or comfy during Pride weekend, here are fun rainbow and LGBT t-shirts to celebrate your identity. Pride season is almost upon us, which means it’s time to break out t-shirts and outfits for pride. Using my links means I earn a commission, which helps me create more rad content. Hey there! This post contains affiliate links.