Donald Trump keeps saying he’s going to make America great again, but for ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups, all he’s been doing is making America hate again. The latest targets from this national campaign to terrorize basically anyone not white, straight, and cis male are LGBTQ centers in at least five states.
In Oklahoma, the Dennis Neill Equality Center was target of anti-LGBTQ hate and vandalism—twice in the span of hours:
Shortly after midnight Monday morning, a white four-door truck drove past the center and fired multiple shots across the front door and windows of the center. Tulsa police recovered 13 pellets, but fortunately they did not penetrate the reinforced glass.
According to the center, this was the first time in its 12-year history that it was the target of serious vandalism. They had no idea there was still yet another attack to come later that day:
A man then entered the Equality Center and began yelling at the staff, volunteers, and patrons. According to Executive Director Toby Jenkins, he “just started cussing us out,” using abusive language and saying, “I wish you would all die.” He ran away, flipping off the staff as he fled.
Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ organization and co-author of the state’s anti-bullying legislation, was also vandalized:
On Saturday afternoon, two men were walking past Garden State Equality’s headquarters when one of them kicked in the door, shattering the glass. The organization had just moved its headquarters to Asbury Park last summer. Many lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), spoke out against the attack, calling it an “act of hate.”
"This kind of incident shows that hate knows no boundaries,” said the center’s executive director. “It is not restricted by geography, even in a state as historically progressive as ours. While we have been shaken by this attack, the LGBT community in New Jersey will not be intimidated, nor will it be silenced.”
According to Think Progress, LGBTQ advocacy centers in California, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have also been vandalized since January. Incidents tracked by Think Progress since November’s election “found that about one out of every seven incidents targeted LGBTQ people.”
But remember, Donald Trump once held a Pride flag upside down during a photo op, so he’s totally our friend.