SpeakOUT Boston was deeply saddened and angered to see the vandalism perpetrated upon the construction site for The Pryde in Hyde Park last week. Hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community, including specific threats of violence, can never be tolerated, and its seriousness can never be minimized.

SpeakOUT joins all those in the Hyde Park and greater Boston communities who have condemned this attack and who have expressed solidarity with LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc., the nonprofit organization building this much-needed LGBTQ+-friendly residence and community center.

We call upon Boston's Mayor Wu and the Boston Police Department to stick to their pledges for a full investigation into this threat to public safety and the civil rights of LGBTQ+ citizens, and thank them for their swift initial response. We are heartened to see the LGBTQ+ community, the Hyde Park neighborhood, and the larger Boston community rallying around The Pryde and its eventual residents and will do our part to continue that support in the weeks, months, and years to come.

If you have time, please contact your state representatives today and urge them to vote for Amendment #665, Pryde for All that will support LGBTQ-friendly senior housing in Massachusetts. The vote may take place as early as today, so please act now. You can find your legislators here.