An LGBTQ bar in New York City was the scene of a “despicable and cowardly” act after two rainbow flags outside the bar were set on fire.
The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning at Alibi Lounge in Harlem — the only black-owned LGBTQ lounge in NYC, NBC News reports.
The bar’s Pride festivities were in full swing when the fires were set, according to police.
Alexi Minko, who owns the bar, put out the fires by stamping on them, aided by rain in the city which prevented the flames from spreading or injuring anyone.
A rally was held Saturday afternoon to support the bar, and Minko said the bar’s neighbors had “expressed their indignation, their support. The gay community is behind us.”
Minko said the bar’s security cameras captured a man setting fire to the flags and that he believes the suspect used an accelerant to aid the fire, given the rain.
He promised that “bigger, brighter, bolder flags” would replace the burned ones, which were removed by police for evidence.
The original flags — Photo: Alibi Lounge / Twitter
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) slammed the fires in a statement on Saturday.
“I am disgusted by the burning of a Pride flag outside an LGBTQ bar in Harlem early yesterday morning,” Cuomo said. “This was a despicable and cowardly act made worse by the fact it happened on the eve of Pride month.
Cuomo said there was “no place for hate in New York,” and said those responsible for the “repugnant behavior must be held accountable.”
The governor has directed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to “immediately proved the NYPD with any resources needed to assist in an investigation of this incident.”
He added: “Rather than divide New Yorkers, this despicable act will only strengthen our commitment to tolerance, equality and justice for every individual.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand added her support for Alibi Lounge in a tweet, saying such acts won’t stop the progress of LGBTQ rights.
“Disgusting acts of bigotry and cowardice cannot, and will not, intimidate our LGBTQ community or roll back decades of progress,” Gillibrand wrote. “In solidarity with you, @lounge_alibi. Keep celebrating #PrideMonth.”
Disgusting acts of bigotry and cowardice cannot, and will not, intimidate our LGBTQ community or roll back decades of progress. In solidarity with you, @lounge_alibi. Keep celebrating #PrideMonth. https://t.co/Y7nID48tLi
— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (@gillibrandny) June 3, 2019
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating an assault in Logan Circle in which a man allegedly threatened violence against a passerby in what may have been a hate crime.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. on September 15 at 14th and R Streets NW. Police say the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Marshall Baxter, jumped in front of the victim -- a neighborhood resident -- and swung his fists, narrowly missing them.
According to an MPD press release, Baxter, who has no fixed address, allegedly shouted a homophobic slur at the victim.
The state of Iowa will pay $85,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a group of LGBTQ teens who were expelled from the Iowa Capitol during a 2020 advocacy trip organized by Iowa Safe Schools, after a dispute over bathroom access.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, claimed that about 150 students and chaperones were unfairly ejected while visiting the Capitol to meet with legislators.
Nate Monson, then the executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, told The Des Moines Register that state troopers barred a smaller group of students from using bathrooms that matched their gender identity and directed them instead to a gender-neutral restroom elsewhere in the Capitol.
A new survey finds that many LGBTQ Americans -- especially transgender and nonbinary people -- have altered their lives in response to a wave of anti-LGBTQ laws and rhetoric sweeping the country, with many reporting serious harm to their mental health and overall wellbeing.
Conducted from May 29 to June 13 by NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel for the Movement Advancement Project, the online survey polled 1,055 LGBTQ adults nationwide, including 111 who identified as transgender or nonbinary.
Operated by NORC at the University of Chicago, AmeriSpeak is a probability-based panel designed to reflect the U.S. household population. Randomly selected households are contacted through mail, email, phone, or in-person interviews.
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