A lesbian couple in St. Peter, Minnesota are badly shaken after receiving an anonymous letter threatening their lives and the life of their daughter, the Mankota Free Press reports.
Along with claiming the women are "mentally ill," that they "freak out" their friends and are "lowering property values," the letter's anonymous author also made specific threats against their safety.
“You never know … your house could be torched, a gun could be used to eliminate you,” the homophobic letter reads.
The women, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Mankota Free Press they believe the letter's author lives in their neighborhood based on specific threats they made against their daughter.
“She needs to look out behind her back also," the letter-writer said. "I know where she goes to school!”
Though they considered leaving their home after receiving the letter, the women said they don't want to give the homophobic letter-writer the satisfaction.
“If someone from the neighborhood is watching and thinking, ‘I scared them out,’” one of the women told the Press, “no, they have not.”
Despite the fear the letter instilled, the couple told the Press that they've been inspired by the response from their community.
“I have never, ever in my entire life felt unsafe in St. Peter. This is where I grew up. This is my home," one of them said. "If anything, [the response] made me more proud to live in St. Peter. Reading and hearing and seeing all the amazing things that people are saying and doing for us.”
