A prominent example is Kim Davis, the town clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because of her religious beliefs and went to jail earlier this month for refusing to follow the law. The Supreme Court decision, a narrow 5-to-4 vote, while heralded by many for its acceptance and equality, also angered some across the country who disagree with the concept of same-sex marriage. The Unitarian Universalist church was living its mission as “an open religious community that welcomes a diversity of people, ideas and beliefs.”
The church displayed the flag for the first time in July to show support after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. The rainbow flag is a symbol of gay pride. But Wednesday morning the new flag was found burned to a tattered mess during the night and that is no coincidence. When in late July a rainbow flag on the lawn of the Unitarian Universalist Church was burned, police called it vandalism because no note was left. It reflects an ugly intolerance that diminishes us all. And as a hate crime, it is not just about one church or one flag.
