It’s an act of hate the community won’t tolerate.
That’s what a volunteer with Ladner United Church told the Delta Optimist Monday morning after someone had vandalized a Pride flag sometime late Sunday night or very early that morning.
The flag was hung at the 48 Avenue church last Thursday but someone had splattered it with black paint, ruining the flag.
Someone destroyed Ladner United Church’s Pride flag. Photo by Sandor Gyarmati/Delta Optimist
The church posted on its Facebook account, “We are disappointed and frustrated to share that our #pride flag at Ladner United Church was intentionally vandalized last night.
As a faith community which is committed to living out the love of Christ in real and practical ways in our community, we will not be discouraged or distracted from the message of inclusion, acceptance and affirmation we make through flying this flag in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ church members, friends, family, and larger community of South Delta.
We are in the process of reporting this activity to the Delta Police Department and will be replacing the flag with a new one.”
Delta city council this year endorsed a staff recommendation to have the new Community Livability Advisory Committee consider options on how the city can more proactively support diversity and inclusion, including those who are LGBTQ.
Staff is to develop a strategy in consultation with local businesses and community groups and report back to council.
Sher Vancouver, a non-profit group founded in North Delta supporting LGBTQ South Asians and their friends and families, wrote to council offering several suggestions on supporting diversity and inclusion. The ideas included having rainbow crosswalks, benches in public parks, pride flag banners on street lights and the city working on a strategic plan to support LGBTQ people in Delta.
“Most importantly, young LGBTQ people coming out would feel they have an official ally in their local government, including the mayor and council, and that discrimination of any kind towards LGBTQ people will not be tolerated at any and all official levels,” Sher Vancouver founder Alex Sangha wrote.
