Garden State Equality headquarters targeted by vandals

Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization, headquarters in Ashbury Park was vandalized on Saturday with its executive director, Christian Fuscarino, inside. Fuscarino was not injured.

Vandals targeted a door that has a rainbow flag draped inside it by smashing the glass. Fuscarino believes that this was an attack on the LGBT community.

“This kind of incident shows that hate knows no boundaries. It is not restricted by geography, even in a state as historically progressive as ours. While we have been shaken by this attack, the LGBT community in New Jersey will not be intimated, nor will it be silenced. We will continue to fight for equality for all our members, and for any individual or group who finds themselves the victim of a similar hateful and dangerous act,” Fuscarino said in a statement.

Sen. Cory Booker (D) also responded to the incident with a statement saying, “Garden State Equality is on the front lines of the fight to advance equality for all. An attack against any community is an attack against us all. I condemn acts of hate against all communities, whether Jewish, Muslim or LGBT, in the strongest possible terms. We must stand united with love against the ‎shadow of hate that has been cast over our great nation.”

Fuscarino tweeted a photo of a sign posted at the headquarters to send a message that the organization is standing strong which reads, “We don’t crack under attack.”

Asbury Park Police Department is investigating the identities of the attackers.

This wasn’t the only attack on an LGBT center in the past week. On Feb. 24. Equality Florida’s office window was smashed by a brick thrown through the glass. The brick appeared to have been aimed at Equality Florida’s logo, an equal sign, located on the window.

Donate to Garden State Equality to help replace the door here.

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