Fox Island church’s sign vandalized twice during Pride month. ‘We almost expect it.’
A rainbow flag sign with the words: “A Just World For All” has been vandalized twice in the last week outside of the Fox Island United Church of Christ, church members said.
They repaired the sign after they found it cut down on June 18. Then between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, it was vandalized again, this time with a profane message.
“This has escalated,” Ron Patterson, a retired minister of the United Church of Christ said. “We repaired the sign and put it back up. During the day, somebody came with spray paint and sprayed (expletive) on it.”
John Mikkelborg, a Fox Island United Church of Christ trustee said this is the latest of four similar incidents in past three years.
“Somebody just did it in the broad daylight. It’s really disheartening,” Mikkelborg said. “It’s a simple message, ‘a just world for all,’ but they crossed out the message.”
In the three earlier acts of vandalism, prior to June 18, church members said signs have been stolen and ripped apart. This time the sign was cut with surgical precision and leaned against a tree near the church.
“It was weird, they took an X-ACTO knife and cut it down, cut the grommets out of the banner,” said Mikkelborg. “They just cut it all out, very neatly, rolled it up and laid it on the ground.”
Then Wednesday someone painted the words: “(expletive) off” over the sign.
Mikkelborg reported it to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
“It’s become unfortunately a routine thing,” Mikkelborg said. “We put these things out and then at some point, we almost expect it.”
Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss told The News Tribune that it’s difficult to investigate vandalism cases, though they still want to be contacted, regardless
“We don’t have any evidence. There’s really nothing we can do,” Moss said. “We don’t normally have resources to assign a detective to something like that.”
If similar crimes are reported, the Sheriff’s Department can identify a map of vandalism and put more resources into an investigation, Moss said.
After members found the sign cut down Sunday, the Fox Island United Church of Christ continued with prayer.
“We say a prayer for these people and hope they’ll find some compassion or at least acceptance in their heart, rather than the hatred that drives them to break the law,” Mikkelborg said.
Fox Island United Church of Christ members welcome the perpetrator to come back to their property to attend a service.
“The prayers were compassionate,” said Patterson. “But at the same time, they were prayers that arose out of some fear that the people that could do this would also do violence to other people,”
Fox Island United Church of Christ members say it’s an open and affirming congregation, and that they support anyone who would like to join regardless of their sexual orientation.
“We’ve had people come to the church because they saw our banner,” Mikkelborg said. “All people are welcome and there is no exclusion.”
Fox Island United Church of Christ has no intention to change the sign’s message.
“We’ve already ordered another banner,” Patterson said.
This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 12:15 PM.
