A town in upstate New York voted to remove the LGBT “Pride” flag earlier this month, sparking outraged protests and an act of vandalism.
For the first time in the town’s history, Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone on June 1 raised the gay flag at Town Hall and issued a “Pride Month” proclamation. After public comment from residents, Republicans elected to the town board voted to effectively remove the “Pride” flag by adopting a policy that limits flags on town property to the U.S. and New York state flags. By June 5, the “Pride” flag was removed.
At the removal, protesters gathered outside Town Hall, and some LGBT activists screamed and yelled about the flag removal, which was captured on video taken by town supervisor candidate Kevin Lockhart. One woman wearing a rainbow sweater claimed she “nearly died five times in the last month,” supposedly over LGBT opposition. Another said “children will kill themselves for this.”
“We see, we hear, we will not live in fear,” was also chanted by protesters.
Days later, the American flag at Town Hall was moved to the bottom of the flagpole, and an LGBT flag was flown far above it. According to U.S. Flag Code, no other flag should be flown above the American flag when displayed together.
“I remain steadfast in my advocacy for the LGBT community; however, I do not condone any flag being placed above the American flag,” Scialdone said in a statement. “When Town personnel became aware of the unauthorized lowering of the American flag on Town Hall property, immediate action was taken to raise it back into place.”
It’s unclear if anyone has been held accountable for the unauthorized tampering. The Webster Police Department confirmed to The Daily Wire that an investigation into the matter was opened, but was recently closed. No other details were provided.
Lockhart, who’s running as the first independent candidate for Webster town supervisor, said he wants peace for all town residents and “will not hesitate to stand for the principles” important to Webster residents.
“As the town of Webster’s first independent candidate for town supervisor, I have spent countless hours listening to residents and hearing their concerns about preserving our town’s history, culture, and values,” he told The Daily Wire via email.
“As a Christian, I believe pride is a sin and that every person, myself included, is called to humility, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. While I would rather avoid cultural and political conflicts over symbolic issues such as flag displays, I will not hesitate to stand for the principles I believe are important to our community,” Lockhart added. “Above all, my prayer is not for division but for reconciliation — that all people would come to know Jesus Christ, receive His gift of salvation, and experience the transforming power of His grace.”
Currently, the American flag is the only flag flying at Town Hall, and padlocks have been added to the flagpole.
Screenshot: Kevin Lockhart
Penfield, New York, another suburb of Rochester, garnered national attention last year too. School board members representing Penfield Central School District alarmingly walked out on a packed house of parents who were upset about an inappropriate book titled “The Rainbow Parade” by Emily Neilson that was on display at the elementary school library.
The book in question is about a young girl attending a pride parade with her lesbian parents. The illustrations show men in sexual BDSM gear holding hands, drag queens, and naked people.
Instead of taking on comments from concerned parents, the board’s president called a motion to adjourn and ended the meeting abruptly. Kimberly DeRosa, who attended the meeting, told The Daily Wire that it ended after “more than an hour of presentations celebrating ‘Black History Month’ and the superintendent detailing the process of submitting objections to books in the school.”
Related: School Board Walks Out On Parents Angry Over ‘Rainbow Parade’ Book For Kindergarteners