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Hyde Park LGBTQ-friendly senior housing project vandalized with hate speech

A rally was organized Sunday at 4 p.m. to show support for the LGBTQ+ community in response to the vandalism.

By Susannah Sudborough

July 10, 2022

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An LGBTQ-friendly senior housing project in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood was found vandalized with hate speech Sunday morning.

LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., a Massachusetts non-profit that works to create affordable housing for LGBTQ+ seniors, said in a Facebook post Sunday that signs at The Pryde — their current housing project in Hyde Park — had anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech spray-painted on them.

“We were heartbroken to wake up this morning to the terrible news that The Pryde was vandalized overnight with hate speech and threats spray-painted on virtually every sign,” the non-profit wrote.

Pictures of the vandalism show frequent use of the derogatory f-word for homosexuals, as well as threats towards LGBTQ+ people and The Pryde itself.

One spray-painted message reads “the f***** will die by fire,” while another reads “we will burn this,” and another says “die f*****.”

The non-profit and LGBTQ+ activists organized a rally outside The Pryde for 4 p.m. Sunday to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.

“We will not let bullies and cowards stop our work to create safe and welcome affordable housing for our LGBTQ elders. We will not let hate go unchallenged in Hyde Park,” the non-profit wrote on Facebook.

At the rally, supporters held signs that read: “Boston stands united against hate,” “being gay is not a choice, hate is,” and “love is love.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attended the rally.

She provided the statement below to boston.com Sunday evening.

“The Pryde will be a treasure for our city as the first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing development in Massachusetts, bringing affordable housing to a welcoming and inclusive community,” she said in the statement.

“…These cowardly, hateful acts of vandalism have only made our support louder and our commitment more forceful—we will move even faster to deliver this beautiful project into a welcoming community who stand together with love and joy. We will not be intimidated in our work to make Boston a city for everyone.”

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden also gave a statement on the vandalism to The Boston Globe.

“It breaks my heart to see these ugly threats targeting a project — and a community — of such importance to our city,” Hayden said in a statement.

“This is the second straight weekend of Boston being marred by hatred and intolerance,” he said, referring to the white supremacist group Patriot Front that marched through the city over the Fourth of July weekend. “This cannot stand. My office will prosecute threats to the LGBTQ+ community wherever and whenever they occur.”

The Pryde broke ground a month ago and is expected to be completed sometime next year. The project will turn the old William Barton Rogers School into 74 units of mixed-income housing for all seniors, including LGBTQ+ seniors.

Many Boston and Massachusetts politicians spoke out against the defacement of The Pryde on Sunday.

In a tweet, Boston City Councilor-at-large Ruthzee Louijeune said “We won’t stand for this. Not in my neighborhood. Not in our city. No matter how emboldened some people are getting.”

Massachusetts Attorney General candidate Quentin Palfrey also weighed in on Twitter, saying “We must stand in solidarity to condemn the cowards who vandalized Pryde with hateful language aimed at intimidating the LGBTQ+ community. Hate has no home here. We must stand up for a welcoming, inclusive & diverse Commonwealth.”

Here’s what other Massachusetts politicians had to say about the vandalism:

Boston police said they are investigating the incident.