Grand Opening of the Stonewall Community Center
This morning I had to get up early to start cooking the cake for the grand opening of the Stonewall Community Center. We were also celebrating our annual holiday party. I made a double layer white cake with strawberry and cream frosting. It was soooo good!
Plenty of people showed up and brought so much delicious food. I also made a huge pot of haluski.
Laura got up and explained her wish for everyone to participate in Operation Holiday Cheer. Laura worked hard to provide every one at the party with cards and addresses of local soldiers who are serving overseas. Laura delivered two touching speeches about the importance of letting the soldiers know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.
Everyone was listening carefully to Laura's instructions on how to send a card and holiday cheer to our troops. Laura stressed that we are all her extended family.
After her speech we got back to eating listening to music and talking! Everyone was full of food and getting tired close to 9:30PM.
At about 5 minutes till 10:00PM there was a loud smash and the sound of glass shattering stopped the laughter and music.
After a few seconds everyone ran outside to see two men wearing hooded sweatshirts walking far down the street proud of the fact that they just shattered our window and knocked down our "Pride Center Event" sign. The men were too far away to identify and they disappeared.
Here are pictures of the rest of the grand opening of The Stonewall Community Center and holiday party.
We got all the shattered glass cleaned up.
I am not sure why but the police man asked if we even wanted to make a police report. He said they would probably never find out who did it (even though the tracks in the snow were clear as day).
After we DID CHOOSE TO MAKE A POLICE REPORT we were given this piece of paper.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
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2 comments:
This is why we need a Pride Center, to show hate where it surfaces, and to be together as a group to face these challenges and threats. The opening was a success, our local ward councilman stopped by and offered assistance as needed, this may be one of those times, sooner than we thought, but lets take advantage of it. We even had a Vindicator reporter who was noticeably absent in our Pride Week. We need to provide them with a follow up to this story. The story itself does not help matters much, as it describes the center as opened by "activists." Jeez, we can't catch a break. Please go to the article at http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/dec/07/activists-open-gay-meeting-center/ and comment on the word "activist" and what happened from the 2 people who decided that hate is fun.
I honestly don't think this was a planned hate crime, more likely 2 idiots walking buy who wanted to "have some fun." If they had planned to make a statement of hate to us, they wouldn't have waited until 6 hours into the event, they would have done it when we were busiest, or waited until everyone left. This was a hate crime as they only decided to have this "fun" after they saw the pride center event sign, but we should not be worried that there is someone out there to "get us." It was both a happy and sad day at the public innaugural of our pride center, but let's keep the pride alive. This is a big step for LGBT Youngstown, and we can't let this stop us from moving forward. Thanx to Brian and Louis, Nicole, Kay and Laura, and Don and Rick for making a place to call home. We will make it and prosper......
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
I think what you're doing is absolutely amazing! Forget the haters!
I wish your community the very best in the years and decades to come! All of you are providing an amazing service for your community and should be very proud of what are accomplishing.
Don't stop, and may your growth be blessed with a thousand warm hugs!
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