Patrick Farabaugh
Patrick Farabaugh, publisher of Our Lives Magazine, woke up to an email Friday morning from his landlord. The magazine’s glass office door had been shattered. He rushed to the publication’s office worried that computers or other valuables had been stolen. But when Farabaugh arrived, it became clear to him that the vandalism occurred for another reason: hate.
“They didn’t even enter the office. I think if it was a burglary, I wouldn’t feel like we were targeted,” says Farabaugh, who founded the LGBT magazine 12 years ago. ‘This seems very intentional.”
Farabaugh says that the magazine has been targeted before.
“Our [paper] boxes downtown are routinely vandalized in various ways. I’ve received hate mail through our P.O. Box address,” Farabaugh says. “That’s nothing new. But this does feel different.”
In this instance, somebody deliberately sought out and damaged the magazine’s office.
Our Lives’ office is located in a building with nearly a dozen other businesses. There are also residential units in the building. Farabaugh says whoever committed the damage had to enter the building, go down a flight of stairs and down a hallway to where the commercial offices are located. The alleged vandal then managed to get through a door that is usually locked during non-business hours and throw a rock through the magazine’s office door. No other offices were targeted.
Patrick Farabaugh
Photos of the vandalism have been widely share on social media. Emily Mills, editor of Our Lives, calls it a hateful act. But she says there has been an outpouring of support in response to the incident.
“It’s a reminder that the majority of the community is with us. But there are still people out there who pull this kind of shit,” Mills says. “Not even Madison is immune to it.”
Farabaugh says he founded Our Lives with the goal of promoting positive stories about the LGBT community.
“We don’t have a lot of politically inciting articles. I founded the magazine to help people feel safe and more comfortable being who they are. To live more freely,” says Farabaugh. “I think Isthmus or other [local publications] put out more provocative content. If we did that, it isn't an excuse for hateful acts. But it just shows how we have a target on our back no matter what.”
Farabaugh did report the vandalism to police. But he is conflicted about what to do next. The magazine doesn’t have its address on its website or within its pages. But there is a small sign listing Our Lives outside its building.
“To be honest, this morning I felt like maybe we should take down the sign. But then again, any sort of retreat like that lets the LGBT-haters win or at least gain ground,” Farabaugh says. “When you’re not on the front lines though, you don’t realize how common incidents like this are. Even in a place like Madison.”
Mills refuses to be intimidated by the vandalism.
“It’s really sad and kind of baffling that someone would go that far out of their way to throw a fucking rock through a door. What’s going on in this person’s life that they feel like this would accomplish anything?” Mills says. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s heartbreaking. But we’re not going to go away. We’re not going to stop doing the magazine. If anything, I think we feel emboldened to keep standing up to this kind of bullying and bullshit.”
