In a disturbing incident on Saturday evening, a “Happy Pride” banner and two rainbow Pride flags were torn down from the exterior of the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan. Security footage reveals an individual grabbing the banner and flags from the church’s entrance.
The Marble Collegiate Church, which has a rich history dating back to the 1600s, has pledged to replace the flags promptly. Christina Morano Keiser, the church’s director of media and communication, stated that the church intends to put up more Pride flags on Tuesday and is ready to replace them “as many times as necessary.”
“While we are deeply disappointed someone would remove our Pride flags, their removal doesn’t change who we are,” Senior Minister Michael Bos asserted. “We remain resolutely open and affirming of all people, and we will celebrate our LGBTQ+ siblings not only during Pride Month, but all year long.”
Despite the recurrent nature of these attacks, Morano Keiser mentioned that the church does not plan to pursue legal action. “In all honesty, this happens to us every single year, but that doesn’t deter us from continuing to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community,” she said, noting the congregation’s deep sadness over the incident.
This vandalism at Marble Collegiate Church is part of a broader pattern of theft and destruction of Pride symbols across the United States this year. Just days before Pride Month began, more than 200 Pride flags were stolen in Massachusetts. On June 13, over 150 Pride flags were damaged at the Stonewall National Monument, the historic site of the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Additionally, a Pride flag displayed in an Oregon library window was shot on June 6, and 14 Pride banners were slashed in Washington state on June 1.
New York City’s annual LGBTQ Pride march, set to commence on Sunday along Fifth Avenue, only four blocks south of the church, underscores the city’s vibrant and resilient spirit in the face of such adversity.