Ann Arbor churches respond to pride flag theft
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Two churches that share the same building on Ann Arbor's northside have been targeted recently for flying a pride flag.
St. Aidan's Episcopal Church and Northside Presbyterian Church share the same building on Broadway Street. Their property backs onto Plymouth Road, where they had flown the flag from a large sign for both churches.
Church officials told CBS News Detroit that the flag had been torn down and thrown into the woods in early April and was taken again and stolen in late May.
"Actually, I wasn't terribly surprised because I have served at other really inclusive congregations before that had been vandalized," said Rev. Jenny Saperstein, pastor at Northside Presbyterian Church. "And so, I thought, 'Well, you know this is a statement that we need to actually make. If we're being targeted, then it's all the more important to keep a flag out.'"
After filing police reports, the two congregations came together to place 300 flags near their Plymouth Road sign and along their entrance on Broadway next to signs reading "Need a Flag, Take a Flag."
"When something like that happens, you answer it with love … that's the only answer," said Rev. Thomas Ferguson, vicar of St. Aidan's Episcopal Church. "So, we decided to do that."
Rev. Saperstein said this type of incident could happen anywhere.
"There were some people that were really surprised that this would happen here in Ann Arbor," she said. "And I said this is partly why we need advocacy even here because it's not as safe as we'd like to imagine."