You are reading

Pride Banner Ripped Down From Forest Hills Church, Lawmakers Condemn Hateful Act

A pride banner was allegedly ripped down from outside a Forest Hills church last weekend (Photo: Jack Quinn via Facebook)

June 9, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

A pride banner was allegedly ripped down from outside a Forest Hills church last weekend and several Queens lawmakers have condemned the incident.

The hateful act took place between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Church-in-the-Gardens, located at 50 Ascan Ave., according to police.

The rainbow banner was hanging across the front entrance of the church to celebrate pride month before it was torn down by an unidentified suspect, or suspects, and then dumped inside a nearby trash can, police said. It was not damaged and was found by a resident Saturday evening, cops said.

Police say they received a complaint about the incident Wednesday and an investigation is currently being carried out by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force.

The banner has the phrase “A Just World For All” emblazoned across it and was produced by the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant Christian denomination which has around 5,000 churches around the U.S. The Church-in-the-Gardens is part of the United Church of Christ.

Congresswoman Grace Meng, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, and Council Member Lynn Schulman released a joint statement Thursday blasting the alleged culprit.

“This was a display of cowardice, and a reminder that we cannot let up in the fight for equality,” the statement reads.

“We are proud to represent a community that celebrates all of our LGBTQ+ neighbors – who make up our elected representatives, community leaders, advocates, friends and people of all walks of life.”

Local residents also denounced the incident and took to Facebook to convey their feelings.

“A terrible action that clearly does not reflect the sentiments of our community,” wrote one poster.

That’s disgusting! My daughter and I went past earlier on Saturday and commented on how great the church [was to] put the pride colors on display,” wrote another. “It showed support and inclusion. And it’s so narrow-minded of someone to have done this.”

According to published reports, the church plans on ordering a new flag and erecting it at the same spot, although at a higher elevation.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at http://crimestoppers.nypdonline.com/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.

Seven teens indicted for attempted murder in brutal Kissena Park gang attack on two girls: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted seven teenagers for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery, and other crimes for an attack on two girls inside Kissena Park in Flushing in early May.

The defendants, who are all 17 years old, were variously arraigned in Queens Supreme Court between June 4 and Wednesday in two separate 25-count indictments with two counts of attempted murder in the second degree. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.

Queens Defenders founder charged with stealing nonprofit funds as second scandal unfolds

The founder of the Queens Defenders and her husband have lawyered up after they were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit organization.

Former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno, 64, surrendered Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. Zeno was arraigned on an indictment charging her and Rashad Ruhani, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, theft, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes.