Pride flag stolen from Station North church, church officials say

BALTIMORE - A pride flag was stolen from a church in Baltimore's Station North neighborhood, a sign on the church reads.

"You can take our flag but LGBTQ lives remain sacred to God," the sign outside the church said.

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, on St. Paul Street, was another Baltimore church that had its pride flag messed with.

Earlier this month, Light Street Presbyterian Church in Federal Hill had its pride flag torn. Police are investigating that as a hate crime. 

According to our media partners at The Baltimore Banner, the St. Mark's leaders tried to report the theft as a hate crime, but instead it is being investigated as a larceny.

The pastor told the Banner the theft won't consider it a hate crime because "there was no written or verbal expression of hate."

The Banner reports the church has been affirming to LGBTQ people since the 1980s.

Emily Scott, the church's pastor, said the pride flag hung outside of the building about 15 feet high. Someone would have needed a ladder to reach it and be able to remove it..

"It feels really pointed," Scott, who is genderqueer, told the Banner.