KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox Pride said Monday that a banner with hateful, anti-transgender rhetoric was found hung over the community center's windows and doors when leaders of the LGBTQ+ center arrived that morning. The center said stickers from a local hate group were also displayed. No permanent damage was done to the center.
The banner and stickers were taken down within minutes, and Knox Pride contacted the Knoxville Police Department about the incident. KPD said the display was hung outside sometime in the overnight hours into Monday morning.
"It's an extremely small group of people, though. Your average East Tennesseean could not care less and is just a loving, wonderful, accommodating person. And I don't even really hold this against the people who perpetrated it. I think that there's been a lot of rhetoric spread by some bad actors, about who trans people are, and I think this is very misguided. And I think it's very misdirected and I hope they get the help they need," said Story Vanness, a coordinator at Knox Pride for the transgender and non-binary community.
The hateful display was found on the first day of National Transgender Awareness Week. It runs from Nov. 13 through Nov. 19, before the National Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20. The day honors and highlights people killed by anti-transgender hate and violence.
"This incident highlights not only the need for this week but also the importance of our mission at the Knox Pride Community & Resource Center," Knox Pride said in a statement posted to social media.
The full statement from KPD about the banner and stickers is available below.
"The Knoxville Police Department is investigating after being made aware that a threatening, apparently homemade banner and East Tennessee Proud Boys stickers were hung outside of the Knox Pride location on Chapman Highway sometime in the overnight hours into Monday morning.
The investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to identify the person or persons responsible. The FBI has been notified and is assisting in the investigation."
Knox Pride is continuing to plan events and host support groups for the transgender and non-binary community. VanNess said the display would not stop the transgender community from finding joy.
"We're just going to celebrate trans joy, which is something that trans people talk about quite a bit. When we get to experience being affirmed, when we get to experience, you know, somebody seeing us and loving us for who we are, as opposed to what somebody else thinks we should be," she said. "I think joy, for any person, is incredibly important."
Knox Pride will host the "Trans Day of Joy" celebration at South Press on Saturday, Nov. 18, starting at 3 p.m. During this event, the transgender community and allies will be able to gather and enjoy fresh coffee and fun at South Press. Starting at 6 p.m., the coffee shop will also host bingo.
"It is more of a celebration. Because, again, it's normally our tragedies that everybody's interested in ... But on Saturday, we're just going to celebrate trans joy," said VanNess. "Trans joy can be small things. You know, the lady at the drive-thru read my voice as female and called me 'ma'am' over the drive-thru, and that can give, like, that's gender euphoria."
Knox Pride offers several resources for the LGBTQ+ community and the East Tennessee community as a whole. It operates food pantries, including a community fridge, giving food-insecure people a chance to eat. The center also hosts a support group for the transgender and non-binary community.
It also regularly hosts "life skills classes," connecting the Knoxville community with experts who can show them how to navigate things like buying a home, taxes, or cooking. The community center also works with people experiencing homelessness, helping them find basic resources. Recently, it also partnered with the University of Tennessee to offer free mental health care services and testing.
Anyone who wants to get involved with Knox Pride can find more information online.