Vandals painted swastika on LGBTQ+ inclusive church. Police arent investigating it as a hate crime. – LGBTQ Nation

Police in Temecula, California, are investigating a series of thefts and vandalism that saw several Pride flags stolen and a swastika spray-painted on the outside of a local LGBTQ+ inclusive church in recent weeks.

“When I see a symbol like this, it’s a symbol that is a hate symbol that hits every group,” Temecula United Methodist Church Pastor Drew Davis told NBC Los Angeles.

Davis told the outlet he believes his church was targeted for hosting LGBTQ+ events, specifically this year’s Temecula Valley Pride Celebration.

The day after the October 17 event took place in the church’s parking lot, a Pride flag and an American flag that flew outside the church were stolen. Replacement flags were also stolen within the week.

Early the following week, church staff discovered that vandals had spray painted a swastika on the building’s back wall and notified police.

Davis told Patch that he didn’t initially report the incident as a hate crime. But he said, “I feel now that this should be considered exactly that.”

However, according to NBC LA, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says that while the investigation is ongoing, it is not currently being investigated as a hate crime.

“I don’t know how a swastika cannot be perceived as a hate crime. It really does tell the story itself, so I’m surprised to hear that,” Temecula Valley Pride president Justin Daley told the station. “Whenever you see hate speech or hate signs that were portrayed onto UMC’s property, it’s certainly disappointing and discouraging, especially for the fact that our event was such a beacon of hope for the community.”

Davis told Patch that the church’s security cameras were not working at the time of the thefts and vandalism, and as of last week Lt. Dierdre Vickers said the sheriff’s department had not identified any suspects.

Meanwhile, Davis, whose own children identify as LGBTQ+, said the church and the broader community, including several neighboring churches, have met the incident with hope and inclusivity.

“When our community became faced with this, first the graffiti, then the stolen flags, I heard many say that this is a horrible thing,” he told Patch. “They’d say, ‘I’m angry about this, but we’re getting their attention.’ It matters what we’re doing here. They have responded with hope and help.”

Temecula United Methodist Church, he said, intends to move ahead with a planned Transgender Day of Remembrance name-reading ceremony on November 19, while beefing up security.

As for the hateful graffiti, Davis told CBS News the church does not intend to remove it. Instead, he explained, “We want to grow a painting around that imagery to have it dissolve into a mural of peace.”

Davis’s message of hope and forgiveness even extends to those who vandalized his church.

“To the person that did this,” he told NBC LA, “They are still loved.”

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