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The slur reading in part "God Laughs Die," was sprayed in red paint outside the office of the Phoenix Counseling Center near Gettysburg on Sunday.
The police were notified of this incident and informed the center is offering a reward for any tips leading to the capture of the perpetrator.
Additional monitoring has been installed at the center.
The FBI reports that hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community are on the rise-- encompassing 16.7 percent of all hate crimes. This is the third-largest category of hate crime, after race and religion.
Rather than dwelling on the hate, the center had community members come together and create a "wall of love" over the paint.
The center is planning to repaint the wall soon as part of Pride Month celebrations. The current art installation will soon be replaced with a pride mural titled "Together We Rise."
Instead of focusing on the slur the counseling center said "Together we will rise up and turn anger into healing. We will not be silent, one angry voice in the choir cannot drown out our LOVE.-- We are way too busy loving to hate."
If you would like to support the LGBTQ+ community in the area, the center asksyou to donate to a related organization, Doug's Haven, which is raising funds for community members in financial need.
Donations can be made here.
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