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Las Vegas Firefighters Investigate Arson at City's LGBT Center

Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada

The center escaped damage, but it was obviously targeted by someone with "ill intent," the executive director says.

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Las Vegas firefighters are investigating an arson at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada.

Las Vegas Fire and Rescue crews arrived at the center about 3 a.m. Thursday to find a palm tree near the near the building's entrance afire, local TV station KSNV reports. The first firefighters on the scene put the flames out, and there was no damage to the building. The fire department has ruled the blaze a case of arson.

Surveillance video showed a person setting the fire. "He seemed he had ill intent in what he was doing, and it was alarming for us given that it's Pride Month," John Waldron, executive director of the center, told KSNV. A banner commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots had been hung Wednesday over the building's entrance, near the palm tree.

The center had also received a voice mail this week from someone who was angry about the display of LGBTQ Pride flags, Waldron said. It's unknown if the call was related to the fire.

The center put a post on Facebook advising everyone attending Pride celebrations to exercise caution.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.