Baltimore Safe Haven Vandalized and Robbed
Vandals ransacked, robbed, and urinated on the transgender-owned, drop-in wellness facility, forcing it to temporarily close.
Baltimore Safe Haven, a transgender-led, drop-in wellness nonprofit that serves members of the transgender community, was vandalized and robbed during a recent break-in.
Baltimore City Police confirmed that officers responded to the organization’s headquarters on North Charles Street after receiving a report of the destruction of property.
Renee Lau, the administrative assistant and senior projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, told CBS News that she arrived at the facility early on the morning of September 27 to meet a plumber but discovered that she couldn’t open the basement door to their facility.
“They had ransacked the basement and pushed all the stuff up against the door,” she said. “I had to force the door open, and then once I got further in, it was a disaster.”
Once inside, Lau realized that intruders appeared to have broken through the back door, trashed the place, and stolen a computer and harm reduction materials.
They splashed pink paint and scrawled derogatory words on the walls. Adding insult to injury, they urinated on the floor.
The vandals also ransacked Baltimore Safe Haven’s van, which is used to distribute naloxone, syringes, condoms, safe sex supplies, and other materials to reduce the risk of disease transmission and promote safer sex and drug use practices.
“I was almost in tears,” Lau said of the destruction. “We’re a non-profit and everything we get is either a donation or a grant from somebody. The way you see something vandalized, that was something malicious.”
Baltimore Safe Haven has been forced to temporarily close.
According to WBAL, this is the third time in two years that the facility has been vandalized in some manner.
Lau said cleanup will take a long time, but is committed to reopening. In the meantime, the transgender and local LGBTQ community will lose a resource that helped connect people with housing, provided groceries and hot meals through a mobile outreach effort, provided HIV testing, and distributed harm reduction materials to protect and promote the health of members of those communities.
“We can’t afford to have these things happen, not only monetarily but for the community as well,” Lau told WBAL. “It’s devastating for everybody.”
Baltimore Safe Haven has launched a GoFundMe page, where the organization is asking for donations to help replace some of the stolen items and strengthen security measures for the facility.
“As a professional and advocate for the transgender community, I am deeply hurt by the recent events,” Baltimore Safe Haven Executive Director Iya Dammons said in a statement. “However, our resilience and strength lie within our community. We will not be deterred by discrimination, hatred, or attacks. Our commitment to healing and supporting each other remains unwavering. Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time.”
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