Anti-gay graffiti on Dupont sidewalk: “Down with the Gay Agenda”
A neighborhood resident has since altered the graffiti, replacing the word "gay" with "gun"
An unknown person left an anti-gay message on the sidewalk outside of a popular local restaurant in Dupont Circle amid this past weekend’s pride festivities.
Left in blue spray paint on the sidewalk outside of Thaiphoon Restaurant, the message read “Down with the Gay Agenda.” Restaurant manager Sapol Jirapanjavat says it was left during the early morning hours of Sunday, sometime between 12:10 a.m., when he closed the restaurant, and 9:17 a.m., when an employee noticed the graffiti. Jirapanjavat did not notice the message initially, because he had come in the side door to open the restaurant.
The graffiti, first noticed by Twitter user Stephen Solka, and initially reported by the popular local blog Borderstan, has remained on the sidewalk since Sunday. Jirapanjavat says that he tried to remove the paint with paint thinner, but was unsuccessful in his efforts. He has since informed his landlord and hopes that the graffiti can be removed soon.
The presence of the graffiti touched a nerve among some LGBT residents of D.C., as it comes following a deadly shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando that left 50 people dead and 53 others injured. There is currently no indication of any connection between the graffiti and the attack in Orlando.
Jirapanjavat says a woman came into the restaurant on Monday morning and asked him if he had reported the vandalism. He called police to file a report. and was also visited by ANC Commissioner Amy Johnson (2B01).
But in a surprise twist, another person has since altered the graffiti, taking a can of red spray paint and writing the word “gun” over “gay,” so the message now reads: “Down with the Gun Agenda.”
“I just saw that message, and then a minute later, you called,” Jirapanjavat told Metro Weekly.
The anonymous artist and D.C. resident who spray painted “gun” onto the graffiti contacted Borderstan and told the blog that he decided to take action after seeing their initial article.
“You’re not going to come at us during Pride,” he said. “Our community cannot keep getting kicked, especially when we’re down.”
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