Trove, a clothing boutique in Bloor West Village, has fallen victim repeatedly to anti-gay graffiti vandalism – the latest incident taking place just this past weekend.
"It’s sickening," co-owner Carolyn Eby told The Villager. "It’s extremely upsetting. How can someone think like this – it’s ridiculous."?Someone scrawled anti-gay slurs across the retail shop’s back wall, which faces the Green P lot north of Bloor Street West at Beresford Avenue. Its storefront was defaced as well.
Spray painted across Trove’s back wall were the words ‘Be Happy Not Gay.’ In the front window, the store’s pride flag was painted over.
As far as Eby is concerned, anti-gay slurs should be a thing of the past.
"The pride symbol is welcoming to my staff, my friends, my family and clients to my store," she said. "That symbol means something to me. Someone’s trying to silence me. It’s extremely upsetting."
The pride flag represents the Bloor West Village community as well, she added.
Eleven Division police are investigating. The case is ongoing, according to Det. Const. Jordan Stowell.
"We’re actively investigating. Officers canvassed the area," he said of the night the vandalism took place.
They’re working alongside Trove’s owners to go through its surveillance video as well as those from other businesses along the retail strip, said Stowell.
"This is ridiculous. It’s frustrating," he said of the vandalism.
This is the first time anything of this nature has happened to any of Trove’s three locations.
"The first incident we can remember is in late summer, early fall," Eby said. "Someone had cut out cardboard the exact size and shape of our pride symbol and used rubber cement to cover it. They meticulously took the time to do this."
The vandalism happened during World Pride in Toronto, she added. Initially, Eby did not call police, but this time she got in touch 11 Division.
"Police have been very supportive," she said.
Meanwhile, the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area pays for a graffiti removal service, which will take care of the paint on the back wall. "It’ll take a little work on our part to clean the storefront," Eby said.
Anyone with any information about the vandalism is urged to call Toronto Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS.