Pleasant Hill

‘Horrified that this can happen here': Pleasant Hill church's Pride banner slashed

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People in Pleasant Hill expressed outrage and hurt after someone slashed a Pride banner in their community.

Rev. Liz Tichenor at Church of the Resurrection said it was a shock on Saturday when she discovered someone had slashed the church's Pride banner.

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"Initially I had hoped that it was just maybe the wind had broken them, but when I came closer I saw that it was definitely the work of a knife," she said. "Lots of curves. It was clearly a violent act."

Tichenor said she was hurt that someone would take aim at the LGBTQ community but not altogether surprised. She said there's been a shift in the cultural climate.

"This kind of hatred is condoned, maybe even encouraged in a way that has not been acceptable, and I'm frankly horrified that this can happen here," she said.

Tichenor's congregation cheered when they learned how she immediately reacted. She and her children went right to work repairing the banner with rainbow tape and a white sharpie.

"They can cut some vinyl, but we will be crystal clear that love is what we're about here," she said. "Welcome and inclusion is what we're about here, and we will only double down on that effort."

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