NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Staff at the LGBT Life Center were met with vandalized signs when they pulled into work Thursday morning.
The signs displayed profanity and denounced the LGBTQ community.
Julie Snell, director of housing for the center, said it was disheartening to see.
“We serve anyone in Norfolk that is seeking the Pride pantry and just wants to come in and need assistance for anything,” Snell said. “This is so, so disheartening and hurtful to experience that type of just violence and hate,” Snell said.
But the vandals didn’t just deface one sign.
After 10 On Your Side spoke with Snell, we found additional signs denouncing the trans community and referring to pedophilia.
Snell said that, unfortunately, it’s something that happens too often.
“We get calls year-round just about our community and saying hurtful things and threats regularly come in through that,” Snell said. “We get online threats, we get phone calls, and then, this is just an act of vandalism as well.”
She told 10 On Your Side that those past threats have prompted them to increase their security, which includes having bulletproof glass at their new building in Hampton.
“We have so many measures in place, roaming security and we have to have that because, again, we’re keeping our staff safe, we’re keeping our clients safe as well,” Snell said.
She said they’re rising above the hate, letting the words roll of their backs.
“We have always powered through,” Snell said. “We come out stronger from the other side.”
She wants to remind everyone in the LGBTQ community that the Life Center is there and ready to serve.
There will be a ribbon cutting for their new building in Hampton on Sept. 5.