Vandals Strike Another LGBT Community Center, As Hate Crime Wave Continues

D.C.’s Casa Ruby Becomes 6th Facility Targeted Nationwide In Recent Months

Vandals targeted Casa Ruby, an LGBT social services center in Washington, D.C., in an apparent hate crime on Sunday.

The center reported on Facebook (above) that a “transgender hater” vandalized the building and assaulted a staff member, noting that the incident occurred just days after Mayor Muriel Bowser reported a significant increase in hate crimes against trans people in the District.

Casa Ruby also pointed out that at least seven trans women have been murdered nationwide in 2017, adding that “this is how it begins and we refuse to be the next ones.” 

Last year, a black trans woman who’d been involved with Casa Ruby, Deeniquia Dodds, was fatally shot in D.C. 

Casa Ruby becomes at least the sixth LGBT community center nationwide targeted by vandals in recent months, with some suffering multiple attacks, according to a report from ThinkProgress’ Zack Ford last week. 

Early Monday, someone fired multiple shots in a drive-by attack on the LGBT community center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hours later, a man entered the building and yelled, “I wish you would all die.” 

The Tulsa attack followed hate crimes targeting LGBT community centers in New Jersey (pictured), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.