Bethesda pastor reacts to gay pride banner being ripped down at his church

[mahatmakanejeeves]

‘Like a punch in the stomach’: Bethesda pastor reacts to gay pride banner being ripped down at his church

Kyle Cooper | [e-mail]
November 14, 2023, 11:30 AM

A large gay pride banner was ripped off the side of a church in Bethesda, Maryland.


The torn pride flag at Bethesda United Methodist Church. (Courtesy Pastor Dennis Williams)

“It was like a punch in the stomach,” said children’s minister Dennis Williams of Bethesda United Methodist Church on Old Georgetown Road. ... Williams was the first person from the church to notice the damage to the two-story tall banner last week.

“Back in the day, I would have understood that, but now, living where we live and being in such a supportive church, it hurt,” he said.

In a statement to WTOP, Montgomery County police said officers were called to the church on Wednesday, Nov. 8 after a report of vandalism.

A preliminary investigation showed that on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at around 9:35 p.m., an unknown suspect walked to the church’s property, damaged the flag and left the scene.

{snip}

Kyle Cooper
Weekend and fill-in anchor Kyle Cooper has been with WTOP since 1992. Over those 25 years, Kyle has worked as a street reporter, editor and anchor. Prior to WTOP, Kyle worked at several radio stations in Indiana and at the Indianapolis Star Newspaper.

[e-mail]

[RKP5637]

1. Fuck the homophobes. So fed up with these grotesque subhuman people. n/t

[yardwork]

2. I think this kind of thing mostly backfires.

People see it and don't approve of the violence and destruction of other people's property. It's a bad look, and reminds people that bigotry still exists. It undermines the argument that "we're all getting along fine, I don't know what the liberals are complaining about."

[sanatanadharma]

3. Hang the flag from the steeple, proudly