LGBT Center In Tulsa Riddled With Bullets
An LGBT center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was riddled with bullets after an unnamed assailant fired on it 13 times.
The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center was the site of gunfire shortly after midnight on Monday, reportedly by a suspect in a white four-door pickup trick.
"We're fortunate that we're not covering a murder this morning," Equality Center director Toby Jenkins told KJRH.
The center's board president, Geoffrey Brewster, posted a statement on Facebook condemning the incident.
I am sickened, yet not surprised, by the bullet holes that now riddle the front of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. They are the latest reminder of the deep-seated hatred some individuals have towards the LGBTQ community. Oklahomans for Equality condemns every act of hatred and violence perpetrated against any individual or group based upon difference.
We are keenly aware after an event such as this, or the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, that sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected classes in current hate crime legislation. Even though hatred of difference is the motivation for such acts, our community is not equally protected under the law. This must change, and we call on our community and our allies to demand it.
The attack comes just days after windows at Garden State Equality in Asbury Park, New Jersey, were smashed, and an LGBT center in Orlando was vandalized. A disturbing number similar incidents have been perpetrated against LGBT organizations nationwide since last year, including in gay havens like D.C. and San Francisco.