Atlanta’s feminist bookstore, Charis Books & More, was vandalized with anti-gay slurs and vulgar imagery the night of Thursday, October 3rd. The store – which will turn 39 in November and is one of the few remaining feminist bookstores in the nation – was tarnished with slurs like “Eat mor dick”, and was graffiti’d with pictures of penises, after holding the literary event, “Stride into Pride: Atlanta Literary All Star Showcase”. The special event was a part of Atlanta’s Gay Pride Week.
Some of the horrible vandalism Charis Books endured
As The GA Voice reports, the event ended around 10 p.m. and the Atlanta Police Department received an anonymous phone call just after 11 p.m. in which someone saw a group of men loitering and painting the walls of the bookstore. The police report states, “On the west-facing wall, open to the parking lot, I observed four pieces of graffiti which contained anti-lesbian messages.”
On Friday, just one day after the incident, volunteers showed their support by helping repaint the store. The bookstore also held another Atlanta Pride literary event the following Saturday.
Volunteers help show their support for Charis by painting over the graffiti
As Colorlines notes, Charis Books was founded in 1974 and has carried books from women of color, feminists, and the LGBTQ community. In the past, they’ve partnered with the “volunteer-driven” organization Freedom University, which provides college-level courses to students who are denied higher education based on their immigration status. Supporters of the university were able to purchase texts for the organization’s students at Charis Books.
To make donations for the upkeep of Charis Books, please visit Charis Circle’s website.
Thanks to The GA Voice, Colorlines, Freedom University, and Charis Circle
Images via The GA Voice
