ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of neighbors in a Front Range community are wondering who took their Pride flags and why. Neighbors in Arvada say they woke up to no flag poles and wonder if recent political messaging played a role.
Neighbors FOX31 spoke with said they fly their pride flag every June during LGBTQ Pride Month, and this year, their flag was stolen just days after the hateful political message was made public.
“Just the level of destruction and the level of viciousness was pretty shocking,” one Arvada mother told FOX31.
Pride flag theft caught on camera
Neighbors in Arvada, who did not want to be identified in the case due to safety concerns, were shocked and upset Thursday morning to find out what had happened in their neighborhood.
“We were woken up to a text message from our neighbor across the street asking if our pride flag had been vandalized or stolen, and sure enough, we went outside in the morning and found it gone. We contacted another neighbor who we knew had a pride flag flying, and that person apparently stole the flag, banged on our window and yelled obscenities about the gay community,” the mother said.
The incident was caught on doorbell surveillance camera, and neighbors said they’ve flown the Pride flag every year since they’ve lived in the area. They want to know why someone would choose to take it away now.
“I was informed that emails had been sent out saying that the pride flag should be disrespected. It even said to burn the pride flag this month. So I wasn’t all that surprised to see this happen today after that email was sent,” said State Rep. Brianna Titone.
Colorado Republican Chairman Says Flag Theft Claim is ‘Probably a Hoax’
Titone is chair of the Colorado State Capitol LGBTQ Caucus and represents the affected area, and she believes the Colorado Republican Party’s recent “God hates the flag” email and subsequent “Burn all #Pride flags in June” tweet may have inspired state residents to take action.
She is calling on Republicans to condemn the act.
“If someone is watching this, and they’re a Republican, and they don’t agree with this kind of malicious behavior and this blatant incitement to hate, let them know you don’t agree with your party,” Titone said. “And if enough people stand up and say enough is enough, then they’ll be forced to take action to make some change.”
Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams told FOX31 he believes the incident is “likely fabricated” and said in a statement: “We make no apologies for saying God hates Pride and the Pride flag because it hurts children and undermines parental authority. The only backlash we’ve seen has come from radical Democrats, the fake news media and weak Republicans who succumb to the left’s cancel culture.”
Colorado Republican Party condemns anti-LGBTQ messaging
Republican congressional candidate Russ Andrews, running to represent Colorado’s 3rd District, currently held by Rep. Lauren Boebert, denounced the party’s rhetoric, saying in part, “As Republicans, we should be focused on uniting our party, winning independents, and winning elections. The divisive rhetoric and actions of state GOP leaders, like Chairman Dave Williams, only alienate voters and create unnecessary rifts within our party.”
In Aurora, City Councilman Curtis Gardner took similar action, saying he “stands with all Aurora residents, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.”
“The Republican Party, and specifically the Colorado Republican Party, no longer supports the issues I care about: individual rights, fiscal responsibility, restraint on government, limiting foreign interference and promoting economic mobility,” Gardner wrote on social media.
Two of the neighbors whose flags were stolen saw the doorbell video and filed a police report, while neighbors who weren’t attacked heard what happened and brought new Pride flags for the affected homes.
