Series Of Attacks Target LGBTQ-Owned Businesses In Denver, Police Investigating
Police have not confirmed a link between the incidents, but many in the queer community say the pattern feels far from random.
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Over the past week, several LGBTQ-owned businesses in Denver have been vandalized. The attacks, which targeted a range of queer spaces from a wellness studio to the region’s largest LGBTQ organization, have prompted police investigations and renewed conversations about safety in queer spaces.
The vandalism stretched across the city. In each case, rocks were thrown through windows or doors, leaving behind a pattern that many believe was no coincidence.
At the Joy Movement Collective, Styler Ells arrived Friday morning to find the gym’s front windows smashed out and glass scattered across the floor. The space, which offers sliding-scale fitness classes, a food pantry, and a clothing closet for queer and trans people, had never faced this kind of attack before.
Ells said the vandalism appeared deliberate, especially when they learned that four of their friends’ businesses were also attacked. “It’s just hard to believe that it isn’t some kind of coordinated effort somewhere,” they told Denverite. “The timing is just too coincidental.”
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Parasol Patrol, a local nonprofit known for shielding LGBTQ youth and families from anti-LGBTQ protesters, confirmed that several businesses were struck over the same few days. Its executive director, Pasha Ripley, called the situation deeply concerning.
“We at Parasol Patrol are deeply alarmed by this escalation in violence toward queer spaces in our city,” Ripley said in a statement. “These attacks do not resemble random vandalism. They are intimidation designed to push LGBTQIA+ people, families, and especially youth-serving organizations back into fear and isolation.”
The Center on Colfax, Colorado’s largest LGBTQ community hub, was also hit. Surveillance footage shows an individual approaching the front door early Saturday morning, slamming a rock repeatedly against the glass before fleeing.
“As a community, we know that these moments are not simply random acts of mischief,” wrote Kim Salvaggio, the Center’s CEO. “While we may never know the intent behind this vandalism, we understand it within a broader history of attacks and intimidation that our community has faced.”
The Center quickly boarded up its windows and covered them with messages painted in bright colors: “You won’t break our souls” and “Broken windows never break community.”
“These messages are not just declarations — they are reflections of our mission: to engage, empower, enrich, and advance the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community of Colorado,” Salvaggio wrote.
At Needz Inc., a gay-owned boutique on Colfax Avenue, owner Tim Nelson said surveillance footage caught a man ripping the door handle off the store’s entrance. “They parked right outside of our store, left for about four hours, and when they came back, he ripped the door handle off,” Nelson told Denver7. “Being a gay business, it’s our first reaction to think that possibly it is a hate crime.”
Nelson filed a police report and turned over the footage to investigators. “We are looking for you. You will be caught,” he said. “We’re not going to stand idly by and just wait for you to come do it again.”
Ells said they are installing cameras for the first time at the Joy Movement Collective. “We really take the safety of our clients seriously,” they said. “We’ve always decided against surveillance, but it’s a necessary evil now.”
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Police confirmed they have received at least two reports of vandalism at LGBTQ-friendly businesses, including The Center on Colfax and another location near the University of Denver campus. In a statement, the Denver Police Department said it does not currently believe the incidents are related but that investigations are ongoing.
Local Democratic organizations, including the Colorado Democrats, Stonewall Democrats of Colorado, and Denver Democrats, issued a joint statement condemning the attacks. “This attack on four queer-affirming businesses and community centers in Denver, spaces that are safe, welcoming and inclusive, is an assault on Colorado’s values. We stand with the LGBTQ+ owners, workers and community members whose livelihoods and sense of safety were targeted. Hate has no place in Colorado. We will not tolerate fear. We will respond with solidarity, strength and action,” the statement read.
Despite the damage, none of the affected businesses plan to step back from their work. “I grew up in the 80s as a queer person, so resilience is something ingrained in me,” Ells said. “We’re going to go bigger, louder, prouder, and we’re not backing down.”
Salvaggio echoed that sentiment. “Shattered glass does not shatter our spirit,” she said. “We’re still here, still providing our free services to the community.”
