Vandals target inclusive Atlanta church during Pride Month

ATLANTA - It happened again. Someone vandalized a LGBTQ+ community-friendly church in northeast Atlanta. A vandal or vandals spray-painted homophobic slurs on the Church at Ponce and Highland. It’s the fourth time in two months they hit the house of worship.

Rev. Mimi Walker, the senior pastor at the Church at Ponce and Highland, says her church supports LGBTQ+ rights and proudly accepts everyone regardless of how they identify. She believes someone is targeting her church.

"It keeps recurring," Rev. Walker said. "We know this is Pride month, so it feels like there’s more intentionality behind it."

The sign in front of the church reads: "God is proud of who you are." Rev. Walker tells FOX 5 a vandal or vandals spray-painted the word "demon" and "ugly" along with anti-LGBTQ+ slurs on it. "Somebody came back the next day and added more to it," Rev. Walker said. 

The pastor says someone defaced the church’s pride flag. "They took it down, bent it in half, stomped it on the ground," she said.

Someone last month vandalized a sign at the church that read "God loves trans kids." Police confirm two more incidents last week. "Four incidents within the last couple of months, three of them in June during Pride month. We’re assuming it is related to our inclusive stance. But we don’t know who’s done it," Rev. Walker said. 

Neighbors cleaned the sign. The reverend says she’s saddened but undeterred. "We will continue to be a community that welcomes everyone and is affirming of everyone," she said. 

Atlanta police say they’ve increased patrols around the church. Their Homeland Security unit is investigating. APD calls these incident bias crimes. They say they’ll hold accountable whoever is responsible.