Longfellow Monument "Dyke Square" Vandalism By Mike Hein Jul 2, 2007 - 11:22:25 AM

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On Friday, June 29, an email was sent from Portland Dyke March organizer Jill Barkley to the League, reporting that the Longfellow Square monument in Portland had been vandalized.  She asserted the League encouraged the criminal activity by publishing news articles on the annual Portland Dyke March and Portland's Add Verb Productions homosexual/transgendered youth writing project.

The text of the email is as follows:  

Author : Jill Barkley (IP: 216.41.127.114)
E-mail : femme_bull@yahoo.com
Friday, June 29, 2007  

Thank you to the Christian Civic League for encouraging hate crimes against members of the LGBT community and those who support them. Just last night, someone chose to spray paint "Dyke Square" in large, black letters on the Longfellow Monument.

Your perpetuation of hate and intollerance only breeds more hate. I fully attribute this hate crime to a recent article published by the Record concerning Add Verb Productions.

To borrow your words: the vandalism of Longfellow Square in Downtown Portland, I can assure you, will not be tolerated.

Jill Barkley

Barkley claims in the email that the vandalism took place Thursday evening, June 28, and that she considers it an attack on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community.  She states the criminal activity was a direct result of the story on Add Verb Productions, which has garnered national attention.  Add Verb Productions is located near Longfellow Square at 565 Congress Street in Portland.

The spray painted words "Dyke Square" were still visible on the Longfellow Monument as of Saturday, June 30.

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