LGBTQ community brings rainbows to protest incidents in Ferndale, Arcata – Times-Standard

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A pride flag that has been deployed for months has been desecrated in a popular community garden in Arcata. A church in the town of Ferndale posted an offensive message to many straight and LGBTQ members.

Both incidents occurred in June, when the pride is marked with a month-long celebration to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Pride is not limited to people with these sexualities or gender identities.

The pair of actions, which some in the community consider acts of intolerance, did not prevent parades, marches and local rallies from taking place in Humboldt County. But, the actions did not go unnoticed.

Social media spread information about the two events; some members of the community were angry that actions were happening, let alone in June.

The Times-Standard reported that on June 25, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Ferndale posted a sign on its lawn reading: “Hurt by LGBTQ culture? Healing here. Earlier in the week, a rainbow pride flag hanging from the flower garden on 18th and H streets in Arcata was torn and burned.

Members of the local LGBTQ community and their allies shared the image on Facebook and dozens of people commented on it, resulting in a protest at the church attended by nearly 70 people, followed by ‘a colorful parade down Main Street in Ferndale.

During the Saturday noon demonstration, the Reverend Tyrel Bramwell, pastor at St. Mark’s (one of two Lutheran churches in Ferndale), read the Bible, his voice bellowing above the din of kazoos, guitars, chants and loudspeakers.

When asked what he thought of people showing up to church, he replied, “I think they are mad at us for what they perceive to be hurtful. Our intention is to be sympathetic to anyone who might be hurt. We never intended to do any harm. We thank them for coming and those who are trying to engage in dialogue, we appreciate this opportunity. For those who disturb, we forgive them and we just move on. “

Bramwell described the interruptions: “A lot of people scream louder and start singing as we try to explain when someone asks a question. They blocked me with their bodies, with their flags, with their kazoos while chanting where I have to raise my voice where I seem agitated, which is part of the political maneuver.

About half an hour after the protest began, Ferndale City Councilor Stephen Avis stood and addressed the crowd for about two minutes.

“It’s important to learn to live with each other, not just coexisting, but as a single person,” Avis said. “This is the message that the Christian church has proclaimed for years, that ‘We are all one people. We are all human beings, whatever our cultures, whatever our country or our language, whatever our religion, it is unity that brings us together. “

Avis said he was taking emergency training classes with the Ferndale Police Department and reached out to the listening crowd, then to the church, saying, “Well, by God this is an emergency!”

On Friday afternoon in Arcata, nearly three dozen protesters surrounded the corner next to the flower garden growing on a traffic island. Members of the community held flags, played music and clapped loudly as vehicles honked in support.

Longtime gardener Vicki Fikes showed up earlier in the week to garden when she noticed,

“Something was wrong, and the flag was cut up and burned. It was shocking, actually, ”she said. “The garden is supposed to be a happy thing in such a difficult time.”

Fikes then pointed to the colorfully dressed dancing crowd in the north corner of Arcata with streamers and waving flags saying, “Then there’s this, which is absolutely wonderful with everyone coming together. ” Fikes added that few flowers were damaged, “just the flowers on the way to get the flag”.

Holding a “Love is not a sin” sign, Chad Rapoza said he heard about the “pop-up protest” on the Queer Residents of Humboldt Facebook group.

Rapoza said: “I came because they burned a pride flag here, and I wanted to be part of a peaceful protest against it.”

Jerryl Lynn Rubin, an organizer of the pop-up protest, said: “We heard about the destruction of the flag from our neighbor next door and then through the Facebook pages of people talking about it. I wanted to do something, but everyone was talking about waving their rainbow flags. I didn’t think it was specific enough, so I said at random, ‘Friday, here at 4 p.m., let’s meet at the site.’ It spread like wildfire. “

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