Birmingham’s LGBT Centre has fallen prey to homophobic abuse for the third time in recent years. When staff members arrived at the building last week, they discovered the words “dirty bastards” scratched onto the front door. The message cannot be removed without replacing the door. For the time being, the staff have covered the door with a rainbow flag.
This vandalism has left service users of the centre distressed and anxious. The centre is urging anyone with information to contact the police. “This is not what we want our service users to see when they come to the centre. It’s the third time we have been vandalised,” stated the centre.
In the past, the building has had its windows smashed twice when it was the only one targeted in the area. Lawrence Barton, the director of Birmingham Pride and the Nightingale club in the city’s gay district, commented on the increase of homophobic abuse in the area. In recent years, the community has experienced physical attacks, urine thrown at them, and abuse shouted at them through car doors. Barton said the latest attack on the LGBT centre was “neither shocking nor surprising” and that action has been taken to make the area safer.