A billboard advert for gay hook-up app Squirt.org has been subject to an act of homophobic vandalism in Washington, DC.
The poster, which was located on the platform of Shaw-Howard University Station of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, depicts two clothed men, one of whom has his arm around the other. The culprit defaced the image of the two men, placing rifle scope marks on their foreheads. They also wrote the word “gay” on one of the men’s arms, and a gay slur on the other.
Attila Szatmari, Digital Business Director for Squirt.org’s parent company, Pink Triangle Press, said: “We have never experienced this kind of homophobic vandalism on our billboards before.
“This is our first campaign in Washington, DC since the Trump administration came to power and it is very sad to see the change in behaviour. It seems that some people feel that it is okay to spread homophobic messages. The Trump Administration needs to work on uniting America and making sure that people feel safe, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, or religious beliefs.”
This isn’t the first instance of vandalism faced by Squirt.org posters. In 2016, a video surfaced of an ex-marine in Miami shattering the glass on a transit shelter to remove and destroy an ad for the company. It is, however, the first time slurs have been written across the posters.
As of yet no one has taken responsibility for the incident. The campaign will run until October 1 and Squirt.org intends to continue to advertise across the United States, including Washington, DC.
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