Historic Women & Children First Bookstore Targeted By Transphobic Vandalism
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A historic feminist bookstore in Andersonville has been the target of hateful stickers targeting transgender people, staffers say.
On three separate occasions, explicit, transphobic stickers were placed on the windows and doors at the Women & Children First bookstore, at 5233 N. Clark St.
The co-owner and manager of the store said in mid-September, someone placed one hate-filled sticker on the store.
They promptly removed the sticker, only to have two more appear a week later.
The messaging is said specifically to target trans women, but it's unclear who's doing it.
"Certainly, their ideology is representative of trans-exclusionary radical feminists – otherwise known as TERFs – in that they don't believe that trans people are who they say they are, and they don't believe that trans women are women," Women & Children First manager H. Melt told CBS 2's Tara Molina.
The store manager and co-owner said since going public with the possible hate crime, they have received support from readers and authors from across the country.
The store has yet to file a police report.