In response to recent violence in the Gayborhood, the William Way LGBT Community Center will host a community forum to address the ongoing issues. A town-hall meeting will be held 6:30-8 p.m. May 28 at the center, 1315 Spruce St. Gayborhood shops Spruce Street Video, Danny’s and Scorpio Adult Boutique have fallen victim to armed robberies in recent weeks, and two individuals were also robbed at knife point earlier this year. Also this spring, a Canadian tourist was raped, beaten and robbed by a man he met on gay dating app GrindR. In the fall, another man was attacked in the Gayborhood, allegedly by a Voyeur staffer and patron, while a woman was raped at almost the same spot. Director of center services Candice Thompson said the community forum will help build discussions on how to keep the LGBT community safe. “There have been a rash of high-profile incidents in the community over the past several months,” she said. “All of that is on top of the ongoing racism, transphobia and institutional violence some queer people experience day in and day out. It’s really obvious that the center has a role to play in helping LGBTQ individuals create strategies around staying safe.” Thompson said the meeting will include a panel discussion with a question-and-answer session. “The meeting is town-hall style so we expect to hear from the audience to be able to engage in dialogue with community members around this important topic,” she said. Thompson said the center did host community forum-type events in 2012 but hasn’t since hosted a town hall meeting. To RSVP for the event, email [email protected].
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