BROWNSVILLE -- A fire that nearly destroyed a gay
nightclub early Sunday appears to have been caused by arson, investigators
said.
No injuries were reported at The Heart Rock Club which was closed when the
fire began. Officials have listed the blaze as a hate crime.
The club's interior was vandalized, and several cans of gasoline were used
to fuel the fire that gutted the windowless cement building, Assistant
Fire Chief Randy Russell said in a statement to the Brownsville Herald.
Owner Sylvia Armente said she hoped to "create an environment where people
can enjoy themselves and not hide who they are." The club opened only two
months ago. Armente called the fire an attack on the entire Brownsville’s
gay community.
A 25-foot gay pride flag was draped over the front of the building when it
opened but was destroyed in an accidental fire last month, officials said.
Armente told the Herald that the club had not received any specific
threats but had endured a few random acts of vandalism in the past.
The Hunk
