Owners of Denver LGBTQ+ businesses shaken up but staying strong following acts of vandalism

DENVER — Business owners told Denver7 they are feeling shaken up after their LGBTQ+ businesses were vandalized this past week.

Surveillance cameras captured a man hurling a rock into the front windows of The Center on Colfax, Colorado’s largest LGBTQ+ community hub, early Saturday morning — one of several acts of vandalism against queer-affirming businesses in Denver. Advocates believe the businesses were targeted.

“We had a person approach the Center on Colfax with a large rock in their hand,” said CEO Kim Salvaggio. “They tried to smash our door and windows. Because we’ve invested in tempered glass here, they weren’t able to gain access, but they did cause a significant amount of damage.”

• Watch the surveillance video below:

The suspect fled before police arrived. Salvaggio said the footage shows someone “well-dressed, moving with intent and purpose,” adding that The Center will not let the damage disrupt its mission.

“Shattered glass does not shatter our spirit,” she said. “We’re still here, still providing our free services to the community.”

The attack came just days after another business on Colfax Avenue was hit. At Needz Inc., a gay-owned store, surveillance video captured a man ripping the door handle off the shop’s entrance late Wednesday night.

“They parked right outside of our store, left for about four hours, and when they came back, he ripped the door handle off,” said CEO Tim Nelson. “We found it missing the next morning and had to get it replaced.”

Needz Inc.

Nelson said the damage cost about $300 to repair, but his concern runs deeper than property loss.

“Being a gay business, it’s our first reaction to think that possibly it is a hate crime,” Nelson said. “Having vandalism to the gay community and to our store is nothing new.”

He filed a police report and turned over the video to investigators. Nelson hopes the footage helps identify the suspect.

“We are looking for you. You will be caught,” he told Denver7. “We’re not going to stand idly by and just wait for you to come do it again.”

Across town, Paragon Wellness, part of the Joy Movement Collective, also found its front windows shattered late Thursday night.

“The gym floor was covered in glass,” said owner Styler Ells. “Two of the windows were completely smashed in, and the remaining three had damage on the outside.”

Ells said they’ve never had issues at their current location until now. Out of respect for client privacy, the wellness studio has never installed cameras, but that’s about to change.

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“We really take the safety of our clients seriously,” Ells said. “We’ve always decided against surveillance, but it’s a necessary evil now. We’ll be putting cameras on the external face of the building.”

Despite the damage, Ells said the business will not scale back its work supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

“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.”

The string of vandalism has put the city’s LGBTQ+ community on alert. The Denver Police Department said investigators are gathering additional information and reviewing surveillance video from multiple sites. Business owners hope the suspect or suspects will be identified soon.

“Accountability matters,” Ells said. “When you destroy property, you need to be held accountable.”

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Despite the broken glass and boarded-up doors, the message from these business owners remains clear: Denver’s LGBTQ+ community won’t be intimidated.

“They didn’t stop us from doing anything,” Nelson said. “All they did was express their hate. We’ll continue being who we are, doing what we do, and we’re going to be here every day.”

Denver police are investigating the matter. If you have any information about these incidents, you can submit a tip to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers or call 720-913-7867.

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