The Real and Ongoing Threat of So-Called “Christian" Vigilantism and LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming Churches

In recent weeks, someone who has too much time on his hands and is a paid-influencer got hold of a member’s Facebook page meme and starting to stalk our church. So far, it has been contained to a series of ugly Facebook posts and a phone call to the church to let us know what the meme said. Nonetheless, there are people in this world who mean to do harm and spread hate when they don’t like what someone says or is posting, especially when it is pro-integration of LGBTQIA2S+ people.

Case in point has to do with Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, Texas. According to reporters Caroline Radnofsky and Colin Shelley (NBC News, July 27, 2023), a fire was intentionally set on a Sunday after it was targeted for criticism in a video by an anti-LGBTQIA2S+ Christian YouTuber. Someone passing by spotted flames coming from the church, around the front door, and was extinguished quickly, with no one injured.

Apparently, a right-wing content creator Bo Alford (goes by the name bodittle on social media) came to the church with others who are part of a hate grouping intruded upon others during the worship on June 25, 2023. That group then posted video of their activities inside the church on various social media sites.

“Church board member Jodie Zoeller Bloom confirmed that the video was taken at the church, titled 'We acted LGBT and LGBT Church,’ which he uploaded to YouTube on July 12, 2023.”

At the end of the video (seen more than 200,000 times), three men stand by the church’s sign and ask viewers to "'pray for these people,’ calling the church ‘pagan and satanic.’”

Alford describes himself as a “Believer of Christ YouTuber/Boxer/Pro Lib Troller.” His videos show he and his friends, “‘pranking' politically and socially liberal Americans, particularly focusing on members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.”

As many of us who are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community know, those who are often our harshest and loudest critics are those who are in the closet of their own making.

Here’s a link to the article: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-church-firebombed-weeks-visit-anti-lgbtq-youtuber-rcna96586.

Since we became aware of our stalker at La Mesa Presbyterian Church, I read this article with interest. Since the election of the previous President, there seems to be a “green light” given for those who had been hiding their ugly, hate-filled views to come out and offend and hurt others because of their race, their gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, age, socioeconomic class, ability/disability, and yes, being part of the LGBTQIA2S+.

The Church cannot be silent on these matters, but must speak out. While love will always win in the end, in the meantime, we are in a fierce backlash, and we must be smart in speaking out and pointing out the evil behind such movements of hate.

May it be so.