Three volunteers were scraping a giant mural off the wall Thursday at Galeria de la Raza, the 55-year-old center for Chicano and Latino art located at 24th Street and Bryant in San Francisco’s Mission district.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Galeria volunteer Dora Alvarez. “But the positive thing is we’re going to put another one up.”

The digital mural, printed on heavy paper and mounted on the wall like a billboard, depicts a heroic quintet: two couples — one gay, one lesbian — and a transsexual man.
But it seems someone didn’t like the way the mural and the gallery’s new photo exhibit The Q-Sides integrated queer and “cholo culture,” or Chicano lowrider culture. So between June 12 when it was initially installed and June 16, they defaced the mural twice with spray paint, damaging it beyond repair.

Galeria de la Raza executive director, Ani Rivera, said the gallery won’t be intimidated. She’s standing her ground, even though someone also sent homophobic threats via social media to the gallery, mural artist Manuel Paul, and Paul’s supporters.