Man arrested burning gay flag
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“I don’t know why anyone would do such a thing,” he said. Barman Lucca Martini was shocked to see the flames. The NYPD had been “brilliant” too, and checked on the bar every night afterwards. However, his anger lessened with the “level of support and love” he had received from the community. The act of seeing the arson had been traumatizing, and made Minko ask himself what would have stopped the perpetrator from coming into the bar itself. The May 31 incident happened close to the anniversary of the Pulse mass shooting, Minko added. Minko was at the bar when the first incident happened, and heard about the second from staff on duty on Sunday night. Other customers, who asked not to be named as they sipped their drinks, said they had been disgusted to hear about the flag burnings, and also wanted to come and show their support. You can be purple as long as your credit card goes through.” Like the latter, Alibi serves a predominantly black LGBTQ clientele, although Minko emphasizes: “We are all inclusive. Gibson added: “We came to be bodies-in-the-chairs tonight, to show our support, and say, ‘Yes, we are here.’ It is important that there are LGBTQ spaces in all areas of the city, because we are everywhere and we need to be able to feel supported, loved, and welcome no matter where we are.”Īlibi Lounge's title of the only black-owned LGBTQ bar in New York City, “is one we unfortunately inherited after Club Langston closed last year,” said Minko.
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We shouldn’t have to deal with this crap up here.” It’s really shocking that this happened in Harlem, where black people are supposed to feel safe. Kennedy told The Daily Beast, “I’m outraged. Inside the bar on Monday night, Nina Kennedy and April Gibson, who just produced an ‘It’s World Pride’ Club Mix, had come to the bar from the East Village to show their support. Governor Andrew Cuomo had directed the state police hate crimes unit to assist the NYPD in its investigation. The incidents attracted considerable media coverage: on Monday night, news crews from NBC and ABC’s New York stations stopped by for interviews. The flag burnings shocked him-and made him determined to stay open “and stay proud.” Minko opened the bar just over three years ago (on June 24, 2016), and said he had experienced no homophobia during that time. On Monday evening, when The Daily Beast visited the Alibi Lounge, Minko had kept a beady eye on who was outside, and who was coming in past the rainbow flag flanking its entrance.