THUNDER BAY – The public is fighting back after another homophobic attack against a popular local coffee shop.
On Friday supporter of Bay Village Coffee plan to gather at 7:15 a.m., after a note was left condemning homosexuality and endorsing violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
The letter, addressed to coffee shop owners Alan Forbes and Gary Mack, calls homosexuality unclean unnatural and disgraceful and suggested the entrepreneurs got what they deserved when a rock was thrown through their store window last month.
Mack and Forbes had the rock painted by a local artist and it was auctioned off in support the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science’s Foundation.
“We received a disturbing letter in the mail today from someone concerned that our lifestyle is an abomination and the break-in we recently experienced was God’s wrath for our sinful ways,” reads a post on the Bay Village Coffee Facebook page.
“A letter like this reminds us that homophobia is still alive and well in our community. It’s just an anonymous letter and should be easily dismissed, but it reminds us that our sense of security is an illusion. A letter like this or other homophobic treatment takes us right back to a lifetime of traumas resulting from homophobic abuse.”
In a release issued by Bay Village Coffee, Forbes and Mack shared the support of Bishop Fred Colli, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Thunder Bay, who urged Thunder Bay residents to treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Archdeacon Deborah Kraft, of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, also weighed in and issued a challenge to the city’s Christian community to attend the Friday morning vigil.
“Love is love. This kind of hate is not acceptable in our community and we will stand together against it. In a world of violence and intolerance, we must do love and acceptance, and not just talk about it. I plan to attend the event,” Kraft said
Bay Village Coffee is located at 222 Bay Street. All are welcome at Friday morning’s vigil.
