Two Elmwood Avenue businesses receive anonymous anti-gay threat letters

In the November 20-26 issue, Artvoice published a list of LGBT-friendly businesses as part of our first holiday gift guide. Since the list was published, two of those businesses, Elmwood Framing and Interior and Elmwood Print Out, received an anonymous letter condemning for supporting homosexuality. The letter suggests that LGBT-friendly businesses support “the homosexual political and moral agenda againest [sic] the laws of moral decency that Americans have supported since the country’s inception.”

The letter goes on: “…to suggest that homosexual behavior is a ‘RIGHT’ that needs to be recognized and made legal is beyond the scope of reason…Homosexuals have the freedom to CHOOSE how they wish to live.”

(In fact, in the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision six of nine Supreme Court justices ruled that the right to be homosexual is not only within the scope of reason, but that any sexual act between consenting adults, regardless of the sex of all parties involved, is legal.)

Michael Gillis, co-owner of Elmwood Framing and Interior, was outraged upon receiving the note. “I was shocked to receive this at first, then angry—very angry,” he wrote in an email. “We pride ourselves in treating people fairly and being good neighbors and citizens.” Gillis has owned the Stuyvesant Building establishment with his long-time partner for the past seven years.

Larry Patti Jr., co-owner of Elmwood Print Out, received the letter, too. “It caught me by surprise. I thought we got past this a long time ago,” he said. “Do I agree on everything? No. But as long as they don’t do anything to harm me, they have the right to do what they want.”

The letter goes on to threaten the businesses on the list, stating that “your business will be placed on the list of businesses that will be boycotted by those whose choose not to support this agenda.” The author of the letter never names him/herself, nor does he/she give an organization with whom he/she is associated, or a place to locate the aforementioned list of establishments to be boycotted. No return address was listed on the envelope. As Gillis points out, “The author of this letter has every right to express their opinion. But they clearly do not have the courage to sign their name.”

The letter does not intimidate Gillis. “I have survived worse than this. Use my name. Give them my phone number. This silly, stupid, cowardly threat will not hurt me or our business.”

Gillis said he’s received support from many quarters: “Crystal Rodriguez from the mayor’s office has been wonderful. The Elmwood Village Association has been extremely supportive. Senator Clinton’s and Schumer’s offices have been in touch. Local clergy have called and asked how they can be supportive.” Beyond political support Gillis has been getting phone calls and people dropping in to express their concern.

“I will not surrender to bigotry,” Gillis said. “We will continue to support gay and gay friendly causes, organizations.”

Patti echoed Gillis’s resolve. “I deal with anyone who comes in my shop. I don’t ask them what they are. It doesn’t matter to me.”

—justin sondel