After the outdoor sign and Pride flag were vandalized for the fourth time in two months, the senior pastor of an intown Atlanta church says she will still welcome the LGBTQ community.
The Rev. Mimi Walker said the Church at Ponce and Highland was initially alerted to the vandalism by neighbors, some of whom later came by to clean the sign.
“We’ve had the flag disappear off and on during the last few years,” said Walker. “Sometimes people might need something to wrap up in because there are homeless in the area. Recently. It’s been taken down and stomped on. We keep replacing them.”
Such incidents are getting more attention as some state legislatures pass laws addressing transgender athletes and restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth and as anti-LGBTQ rhetoric heats up among extremist groups.
For instance, between June 2022 and April 2023, the Anti-Defamation League and GLADD, the LGBTQ advocacy organization, tracked least 356 anti-LGBTQ+ extremist and non-extremist incidents motivated by hate, according to a new report released in June.
That included 40 incidents of vandalism.
One time the sign said “God Loves Who You Are” which was posted during Pride Month and someone may have assumed it referenced the LGBTQ community, Walker said.
Recently, according to Walker, vandals ripped down the Pride flag and spray painted homophobic slurs and the word “demon” on the church sign, which is located at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and North Highland Avenue.
Other incidents happened on April 28, June 15 and June 24.
“We are disappointed that our message of welcoming all people keeps being defaced with hateful messages.... Our church will continue being a radically inclusive community, and we will not stop making sure LGBTQ+ folks know that God loves them, " Walker said in a statement.
Walker said the church will likely increase security.
The church’s website describes it as multi-racial, economically diverse and pro-LGBTQ .
“We are poor, rich, black, brown, white, young, old, families, empty nesters, young couples, singles, straight, gay, trans, outgoing, shy, tattooed, old-fashioned, cutting edge, pierced, normal, weird, believers, doubters, lifelong Christians and brand new to church.”
The faith community has wrestled with issues over acceptance of homosexuality and full inclusion of the LGBTQ community for years, most recent with hundreds of churches planning to or that have left the United Methodist Church.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Earlier this month a Cobb County church placed several billboards that used the pride rainbow colors with the words with the message, “Proud To Be Delivered.”
The messages were placed by the nondenominational Worship with Wonders Church on Powder Springs Road in Marietta.
In a Youtube video, the church’s pastors describe their intent to spend pride month highlighting testimonials of those who have rejected homosexuality in favor of Christianity.
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