Sending hugs and strength. How I interpreted what you wrote is the pride flag, undefeated, has been raised six times. A sign of love. That #LoveWins. Thanks for raising it again and again as hate rains down. That is exhausting. Thanks for being a genuine hero to those who need to see its rainbow. 🌈
I know you all mean well, suggesting things we could do, but this has been going on for YEARS, I assure you we have considered everything, and for myriad complex reasons, often related to the location and immense age of the church, they're not feasible.
We're down to our last replacement pride flag (which means we've been through around 400 over the last three or four years), so I've just ordered another £60 worth.
Done. Thank you for fighting the good fight! I know I take great heart from the pride flag at my church. I’m sure many take heart from your flags too, and I’m glad to be a little part of that from across the world x
If you have any way to feedback to the parish giving system: they really don't need my title (I prefer none!) or my phone number in order to accept a donation. I hope you're being inundated with donations today though and have enough to keep you in flags for years. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
I am sorry to hear that. As a member of a Unitarian Universalist Church we have experienced this as well. And yes it is exhausting. But sometimes values held against those who hate will be confronted. And the only response is to clean up the damage and replace the messaging with even more.
Keep fighting, add motion cams, film it all and report it. You may feel small right now, but this army behind you is all for you fighting against hate. Maybe some time behind bars will teach them that.
I've learned out of all this, you have to be tactical with people like this, and not in the violent way. Learn the steps, so far they have take the flag. Is it connected to a flag pole. If so, grease it up. If it is hanging from the church, have cams point right at it and the surroundings.
I know you’ve probably thought of everything at this point, but if they physically touch the flag, sign, or building in any way you could use some kind of staining powder to deter them even if you don’t intend to catch them. But the whole situation sucks 😞
Or if there is a hippy, share their profits with a pride group flag company, and you post a link with your church’s address I bet folks would ship you some.
Okay but you can just record all night and watch only if the flag goes. Or use the time-lapse mode and snap a photo every half second all night then narrow it down if something happens. A camera won’t stop them but it might help you get them trespassed from the property.
There was a school that had an indigenous sculpture at the front. It was repeatedly pulled down. The school kept putting it back up. The locals kept pulling it down. one day the principal found parts of a car outside the school, and sculpture intact. She concreted it deep into the ground. Be strong
You know, baby, I believe that we all have got to learn not to care what other people think or if other people accept us?
Any us! We don't need to advertise anything,we just need to be!
I'm so sorry, Jay. Thank you for your work, and for giving people a place to feel safe and seen in their faith. Thank you for keeping it up in times of immense hardship. Much love to you.
This gives me an idea for poison ivy pride flags! New business I’m just starting. All steps involve gloves unless you’re immune. Step one, harvest poison ivy, step two, steep pride flag in poison ivy juice in a large pot of warm water. Step 3 hang flag and wait for the itchy Nazi to show up.
Can I suggest having the flag painted on hard wood, varithane the heck out of it and screw it into the building. At least 12 feet high. They can’t rip it down without using a ladder. I’m sure that could stop them
Technologically there are cheap/basic cameras that trigger & record ppl in a specific zone (not cars, etc), but that’s hardly the point. Thank you for continually replacing it. Let us know if we can pitch in and buy you a crate of them.
Comments
Set you a camera and lights to go off when it senses motion
I'm sorry people are being shits.
Y'all need to stop.
If you wanna help defray the cost of constantly fixing it, you can donate to our little church here: https://stnicholasleicester.com/donate
Does that make sense? It's probably not worth it to have a separate "gay shit" pot, but...
Seriously though sending you love and strength ❤️
2. Not a remotely proportionate response to vandalism, vile and hateful though that vandalism may be.
3. St. Nick’s is in the UK.
I will help pay for flags.
Or if there is a hippy, share their profits with a pride group flag company, and you post a link with your church’s address I bet folks would ship you some.
I will.
Don’t stop. We are winning.
It doesn’t feel like it, but we are.
Just so you don't personally burn out.
Plus, it might be good to have more people you can directly commiserate about this in person with.
(Also sorry that people seem to think that you haven’t tried every thing possible already)
Any us! We don't need to advertise anything,we just need to be!
Give them a handful of their own medicine
Please, I hope you can keep up the good fight.