Recently, a parish in my neighborhood put out a Pride flag at the entrance to the church, however, not even 24 hours went by before it was torn down and thrown into the mud. 

Sure, it could have been the wind or a passing thunderstorm, but that was not the case since it was made of thick nylon and well-secured. I also don’t think it was a coincidence that several people on a neighborhood social media site expressed their outrage at such a display, warning community members to keep their children from attending that church, and stating that a church has “no place” in putting up a pride flag.

Flags are symbols that have meaning, they display emotion, mark a group’s identity and give us a way to express our beliefs, opinions, identities, and shared world views. Most of us are familiar with the rainbow-striped pride flag, which has in recent years been updated to represent not only the gay and lesbian community, but also bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, non-binary, and Two-Spirit communities.

Since its inception 40 years ago, the rainbow Pride flag has become a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, and its meaning encompasses the fight for equal rights, acceptance, and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community across the globe. Perhaps more importantly, the flag means a celebration of diversity, empathy, and acceptance. Unfortunately, some don’t feel the same way.

News reports of attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. are on the rise. Earlier this week, the Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. and has provided a guidebook that includes information on more than a dozen GOP-led states that have passed anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Parents of trans youth are fleeing their home states to escape laws that restrict access to life-saving medical care. Florida is front and center on the attack on trans youth, passing a bill earlier this spring that allows the state to take transgender minors who are receiving gender-affirming care away from their families.

Fisticuffs broke out earlier this month over a Pride month assembly at a Los Angeles elementary school forcing local police to separate groups of protesters and counter-protesters who clashed over the school’s teaching of LGBTQ+ issues and ended in the burning of a transgender teacher’s LGBTQ+ Pride flag.

A doorbell camera captured an unidentified man setting a pride flag on fire in Nebraska, In Cheyenne, Wyoming a man confronted a Target employee over a Pride display, and an evangelical Texas pastor delivered a sermon saying gay people should be executed.

It’s no secret that attacks on the LGBTQ+ community have intensified since Trump was in the White House, driven by right-wing and white evangelical groups that support the conservative quest to “Make American Great Again,” which actually translates as, “Make Patriarchy, Hegemony, and Christian Nationalism Great Again.”

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, roughly one out of 10 violent attacks against LGBTQ+ people are hate crimes, and LGBTQ+ people are nine times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ people to be victims of violent crimes. This is a cruel reality for thousands of Americans who just want to live their lives in peace, as equals with the dignity and respect they deserve.

What happened in my neighborhood was reported as a hate crime by the local police. The congregation of that church wanted to celebrate Pride month by putting up a flag that is a symbol of celebration and support for the LGBTQ+ community. I applaud the congregation for exhibiting true compassion in expressing their support for the LGBTQ+ community, and I decry the individual/individuals who ripped down their rainbow flag, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and dignity, and left it dumped in the mud. 

Fortunately, a church member has stated that if the flag is removed, torn, or taken down again, it will be replaced, repeatedly if necessary.