Chicago police: Suspect broke window of bar after using homophobic slurs toward man and woman

CHICAGO - Chicago police are looking for a man who allegedly used homophobic language against two people and then used a hammer to break the window of a nearby business they went into.

Couple Renee Labrana and Sandra Carter have owned R Public House for a decade, fashioning it as a "safe space for anyone who wants to come in," according to Labrana.

On Monday, around 5:40 p.m., police say a man and woman were exiting their vehicle heading into the bar and restaurant when an unknown man approached them and began yelling homophobic slurs and threatening them.

The suspect eventually walked away, police said.

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The man and woman continued walking and entered R Public House. A short time later, the suspect returned and used a hammer to shatter the glass of the front door before running off.

"It’s very frustrating and disconcerting because we live in this neighborhood because it’s so diverse, and we love that about the neighborhood," Labrana said. "So you tend to forget that there’s people that hate you out there just for who you love. And it makes me really angry that we even have to think about it."

Nobody was injured, and the offender is not in custody.

Labrana and Carter — who were married last September in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an Elvis Presley impersonator officiating — said they’ve never been targeted in a similar attack, even when they’ve hosted so-called drag brunches that have drawn the ire of far-right agitators.

"We can safely say that we know that the community will rally around us," Carter said. "We’re not afraid."

The investigation is ongoing.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.