Mural honoring SF LGBT Latinos defaced for third time in week

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) – A mural honoring lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Latinos in San Francisco was defaced for the third time in a week over the weekend.

This time though, police have surveillance video.

The mural on Bryant Street near 24th in San Francisco's Mission District features lesbian and gay couples and a transgender man.

But last week, vandals spray painted over it twice with different colored paint just days after it went up.

Volunteers then stripped away the mural – which is printed on paper and glued to the wall – before replacing it with an identical mural last Thursday.

Two days later at around midnight Saturday, it happened again. Only this time, the mural was defaced with with black paint.

The gallery has also been receiving homophobic messages,

"It just shows we have more work to do with homophobia within our own community, we still have a lot to talk about," said Henry Pacheco, spokesman for Galeria de la Raza, which commissioned the mural.

The mural coincides with San Francisco's upcoming gay pride celebration.

"A lot of people expect us to be angry and we are more disappointed than angry," Pacheco said.

After the first wave of vandalism, the gallery repaired its security cameras which captured the latest incident.

Police won't release the video, but KTVU was told it shows two people committing the vandalism and that the face of at least one of them is visible.

Many people say it's sad that a piece of art is provoking such anger within the Latino community.

"We're also supposed to be a city of tolerance," said Mission resident Ernesto Smith. "It's very frustrating. I don't see the tolerance honestly."

The gallery hopes to replace the mural by the end of the week. It also wants to sponsor a community forum where people can express their views face to face.

The gallery is asking for funding to help repair the damaged mural. Click here to donate: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1392515