conservative estimate for this picture, snapped outside a
Neighborhood Church in Pasadena.
The banner, which reads “LOVE makes a family. We support marriage
equality!” was slashed. For the third time. It’s a
reminder of tension between our movement and organized religion.
It’s a reminder of the hate and homophobia that LGBTQ people face
around this country and the world. It’s also a reminder that not
all religious institutions are against us and our families. In many
ways, this banner offers a beacon of hope: that more religious
institutions will stand on the side of equality and justice.
In response to the incident, the Neighborhood Church of Pasadena
released this statement:
Pasadena—Neighborhood Church of Pasadena will hold a
peace rally on Sunday, September 9 at 1pm to officially designate
the historic property as a “Hate-Free Zone” following the third
slashing of the church’s Marriage Equality Banner.Neighborhood Church invites the community to join members and staff
as they wrap the sanctuary and entire adjoining campus in a
hate-free ribbon in a show of unwavering solidarity and dedication
to equality for all marriages and families, and to reinforce the
church’s “Stand on the Side of Love” covenant.The ribbon will also be signed and decorated with “pledges from
the heart” declaring support for peace, equality and justice for
the Gay and Lesbian community, the freedom to marry, and the belief
that LOVE makes a family!
The banner was slashed on July 29, and following the peace rally,
church officials plan to raise a new banner.