It feels like an act of hate. That is what owners of a popular LBGT bar, The Aut Bar in Ann Arbor, have to say about what someone did to their business early Friday morning.
When workers left around 2:45 in the morning, everything was fine. When one of the owners arrived at six to prepare for the day, he found the business had been vandalized.
“All of the streamers were ripped down and the light bulbs were smashed. Fascia board was damaged where they were attached, and the rainbow flag had been torn down,” described Keith Orr, who owns the business with his husband Martin Contreras.
They say the damage doesn’t hurt as much as the message.
“Someone went out of their way to make a statement if you will,” said Contreras.
The bar shared what happened on Facebook. Customers came out and voiced support. Others started a fundraiser.
The damage will cost a few hundred dollars to repair. When the owners of the bar heard about the fundraiser they said any money above and beyond what is needed will be donated to the nearby Common Language Bookstore and Jim Toy Community Center that serve the LBGT community.
“Its first mission isn’t about serving food and drink. It is about providing a safe place for the LBGT community,” said Orr of his bar.
