Long Island Gay And Lesbian Youth Center Vandalized

Two nights ago someone (or some group) vandalized the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center (LIGALY). The front door was shattered as were the windows on the van that LIGALY uses to help teenagers get to the Center for meetings and social events. Nothing was stolen. It was clearly an act intended to send a message rather than for any kind of personal gain.

LIGALY (pronounced "legally") is one of my favorite Long Island organizations. It was started by David Kilmnick, who I'm proud to say is a friend of mine. He began with nothing but an idea for a project as he worked toward his Masters in Social Work and built one of the most powerful and wide-reaching LGBT organizations on the Island. (He also got his Doctorate in Social Work along the way.) LIGALY now serves not only young people but also LGBT seniors, offering social, educational, and support services. Its Safe Schools Initiative helps counter homophobia in schools, and offers organizing assistance to students wanting to start or maintain Gay Straight Alliances in their schools.  

The good news is that there has been an enormous show of support for LIGALY. David reports thatthere have been phone calls, blog entries, news stories, and even a letter from Governor Paterson. Most importantly just since yesterday there have been enough donations to help get the Center's door fixed and its van back in service.

The bad news is that there seems to be an upswell of violence and hatred in the area. From the beatings (and killings) of immigrants, to the distribution of KKK material in a Long Island Railroad parking lot just before the election, to the vandalizing of the LIGALY facility it seems like we're seeing a pattern and not just a series of random events. I don't mean to suggest that the same individuals are behind each act. Far from it. Rather I mean that some pattern of anger and hatred is fueling unrelated individuals to act out in violent ways. 

There will be a forum at LIGALY this Friday where the NY State Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights will facilitate a discussion of hate crimes on Long Island. It strikes me as a conversation that will need to be continued outside of LIGALY in our schools, churches, and neighborhoods. If you are in the area and want to participate in the LIGALY discussion, please call 631-665-2300 or check their web site (http://ligaly.org) for details later in the week. The time has not been set yet. If you want to participate in a conversation here, in the comments, please feel free to start one. And if you simply want to show your support for LIGALY and their work, please consider a small donation. You can find their donations page here.