'Stop Your Gay Agenda': Houston Pride Wall Removed After Vandalism

Screen Shot 2018-11-27 at 3
The Pride Wall in Houston was defaced with a hateful message to the LGBTQ community on Saturday, authorities said. Google Maps/Screenshot

The popular "Be Visible" Pride Wall outside of a noodle shop in Houston will be removed after it was defaced with an anti-LGBTQ message.

The Pride Wall outside of Jenni's Noodle House was defaced on Saturday morning with a black X and "Stop your gay agenda please!," KHOU 11 reported. Surveillance video captured by the neighbor's camera and obtained by the news station found that there was one lone vandal who defaced the wall. The Houston Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime, according to KHOU 11.

The owners of the noodle shop posted a statement on Monday on the restaurant's Facebook page, stating that the Pride Wall will have to be removed and will be painted over this week.

"The #BeVisibleHTX wall will be repainted this week. I have now been limited to what I am allowed to put up because I do not own the building. My support for the #LGBTQIA+ community has not changed and is stronger than ever. With the hate speech that was spread over the affirming and #uplighting #mural it is a reminder to continue to #bevisible," the statement read. "Both myself and Pride Portraits will continue the work that we do individually and mutually to bring visibility, #representation and #humanization for the LGBTQIA+ community to the forefront. Please support Pride Portraits by donating to help them continue all that they do for the community across the nation."

Scott Tranweaver, the owner of the noodle shop, told KHOU 11 that the mural was a landmark for those who visited Houston and made LGBTQ people feel safe.

"From day one we saw high school kids coming here and getting their graduation pics taken here for portraits," Tranweaver told the news station.

Tranweaver told the Houston Chronicle that the landlord of the building does not want the wall to be a target of vandalism to encourage other hate crimes. He told the publication that they are considering placing the mural inside of the restaurant or at one of the other locations he owns.

"There are always ways to support equality and human rights," Tranweaver said.

In 2017, hate crimes increased 17 percent in 2017, according to the 2017 Hate Crime Statistics report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in November. The data revealed that out of the 1,338 victims targeted due to sexual-orientation, 57.8 percent were anti-gay crimes and 24.9 percent of victims were involved in anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender attacks.

Screen Shot 2018-11-27 at 3
The Pride Wall in Houston was defaced with a hateful message to the LGBTQ community on Saturday, authorities said. Google Maps/Screenshot

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