Teague Bohlen
Audio By Carbonatix
Four LGBTQ+-Affirming Businesses Vandalized in Denver Over the Weekend
“We as a society have to learn more about stochastic terrorism,” says Pasha Ripley, co-founder and executive director of Parasol Patrol, which supports LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth by literally shielding them with a visual barrier created from colorful umbrellas.
To start the lesson, stochastic terrorism is defined as the vilifying of a group or individual that results in the incitement of a random violent act that, while statistically probable, cannot be traced directly back to those doing the demonizing. And stochastic terrorism is exactly what Denver experienced over the last weekend in October, according to Ripley. A number of queer-affirming businesses in the city, including The Center on Colfax, which is Colorado’s largest nonprofit serving LGBTQIA+ youth, had their windows deliberately shattered in what appears to be a coordinated pattern of targeted attacks, whether by a violent individual or on behalf of a local hate group. To date, no such group has claimed responsibility, and the Denver Police Department has announced no suspects.
According to security footage, at about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 26, an unknown male walked up to the Center’s entryway, pulled a rock from his jacket pocket, and began smashing windows before running off. “He broke three large window panes,” says John Taylor, vice president of Development and Communications for the Center. “In the interest of safety, we canceled programming on Saturday morning and had the windows boarded up. But one thing that was really important to us was that those boards wouldn’t communicate a message that this wasn’t a safe space. So we painted them with messages of hope.”
The Center opened for business as usual on Monday, October 27, but with one addition: a security guard. That guard is Eli Bazan, who’s not only a physically imposing figure, but one of the leaders of the Parasol Patrol. “We felt it was important that we have a guard who is a member of the community,” Taylor says.
While the Parasol Patrol has helped with support and restoration efforts, Ripley says the damage didn’t affect the group directly. “We just wanted to lift up the voices of some of our LGBTQ+ allies around the city,” she adds. “This isn’t about Parasol Patrol, or anything that’s happened to us.
“But at the same time, attacks like this are meant to terrorize,” Ripley continues. “When four affirming spaces are hit in rapid succession, it’s not simply a property crime. It’s a message to an entire community. The message is meant to silence and to isolate communities. Denver cannot and must not normalize this.”
Another one of the targeted businesses was Above Ground at 905 East Colfax. “Sadly, this is actually the second time our salon has been targeted because of our Pride flag,” says salon owner Ashe Bowen, a longstanding member of and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in Denver. “It’s becoming increasingly dangerous and disheartening to see these kinds of acts happening in Denver, especially toward safe spaces like ours.”
Even so, Bowen has no plans to take down the flag. “Above Ground was built on inclusion and authenticity,” affirms Bowen, “and we won’t back down or hide who we are because of someone else’s hate.”
The Pearl, which took over the former home of the Mercury Cafe at 2199 California Street, has seen an uptick in violence lately, according to a co-owner of the self-described “Sapphic-focused” bar and cafe. “We took over this space in April of this year,” says co-owner Dom Garcia, “and we’ve had nine separate instances of vandalism in the months since opening.” Most of those were glass-breaking incidents, one of which happened when the Pearl was open; a patron received minor cuts. But a large wall mural and public art out front were also damaged in other violent acts.
“The last time was actually last Friday,” Garcia says, adding that she doesn’t believe homeless individuals in the area were responsible. “We’ve got a great relationship with most of the unhoused folks living nearby,” she says. “We give them water when they need it, let them use our bathroom, no problem. We even hire them when we can to keep the area cleaned up. The last owners here didn’t experience these issues, so we’re pretty convinced that the damage is targeted due to us being an out-loud queer space.”
In response to the recent incidents, the Colorado Democratic Party joined with Stonewall Democrats of Colorado and the Democratic Party of Denver to issue a joint statement: “This attack on four queer-affirming businesses and community centers in Denver, spaces that are safe, welcoming and inclusive, is an assault on Colorado’s values. We stand with the LGBTQ+ owners, workers and community members whose livelihoods and sense of safety were targeted. Hate has no place in Colorado. We will not tolerate fear. We will respond with solidarity, strength and action.”
According to Taylor, the Center was already looking at how it could expand its service outreach, and this attack only showed how much that’s needed. “With the national rhetoric and unfortunate changes to policy, with the hate directed at the LGBTQ+ community, it’s become more evident that we can and need to do more,” he says. “Colorado is a safe haven, and we are seeing an influx of people coming into the state for that reason. A few broken windows isn’t going to keep us from serving our community.”
