SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Salt Lake City Council is speaking out against a message of hatred after The King’s English Bookshop received a bomb threat during its monthly Drag Storytime.

The city council said the following about Sunday’s threat: “There’s no room for the type of hate that occurred today. We stand with The Kings English Book Store, Tara Lipsyncki and all those spreading love, joy and visibility in our community.”

They went on to call the threat “a despicable act” against the family-friendly event. The 15th & 15th district bookstore closed out of an abundance of caution to keep staff, customers, and the community safe after the threat was made.

“We see this as a crime rooted in hate,” the city council said in a statement. “Our police department is the largest and most thoroughly equipped police department in the state, and we trust they will do everything they can to bring the criminals who targeted our city in this way to justice.”

Officials said this isn’t the only crime of intimidation that has occurred in the community this year. “From the destruction of Pride flags at homes in the Central Ninth District to the acts of intimidation outside Tea Zaanti’s all-ages drag show, we strongly condemn behavior that threatens the many diverse communities that make Salt Lake the welcoming and thriving city it is.”

The city council said they stand firm with the community’s values: diversity, belonging, and the freedom to express one’s true self. In fact, the council expressed its support of drag as an art form that furthers these values and creates safe spaces to celebrate differences.

We are grateful for the businesses, artists, and community members who bravely and visibly continue standing up to hate so people of all kinds can feel they belong here. Our city is for everyone, and we will continue to support art and events that boldly proclaim the same.

We invite all members of our community who have not experienced drag culture to one of the many family-friendly drag shows that happen throughout Salt Lake City so you can see for yourself that this is an art form focused on love and inclusion.