CONTRIBUTED BY
AUBURN UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
AUBURN —
On Sept. 3, 2022, members of Auburn Unitarian Universalist discovered that its church sign that displays information about fellowship and upcoming services was vandalized with an anti-LGBTQIA+ message. The sign was spray painted to read, “—- the LGBT.”
This latest example of vandalism comes after a number its social justice banners and yard signs were vandalized since 2021.
“This is unequivocally an act of hate,” said the Rev. Chris Rothbauer, the congregation’s minister. “Our fellowship is a spiritual home to many people who don’t find community any other place in our area. This message targets our members and makes clear why a witness such as ours is so direly needed.”
The person waited until night and spray-painted the sign. The congregation has checked its security camera, and the matter has been forwarded to the Auburn Police Department for further investigation.
“The current political climate is so full of hate,” Rothbauer said. “This message demeans the many LGBTQIA+ people and reflects poorly on our entire community. If Auburn wants to be a welcoming community, we should be willing to embrace difference rather than stigmatizing it.”
A member of the AUUF community was in the process of repairing and replacing the vandalized sign at the time of this news release.
“It’s sad to me that someone finds a message of love, inclusion and acceptance so offensive that they feel the need to target us,” Rothbauer said. “If someone hates us so much because we are welcoming to those who are often on the margins, maybe they are part of the problem. We welcome them to get to know us rather than holding onto their bigotry.”
ABOUT AUBURN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP:
Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was founded in 1961 as a liberal religious congregation in Lee County, Alabama. Though Unitarian Universalism is an offshoot of Protestant Christianity, our members come from a variety of different religious backgrounds, identities and life experiences, united by our desire to build a world where all people are valued for who they are. The fellowship and its minister and members have been leaders in local social justice issues, organizing climate change actions, in racial justice protests and initiatives and for the local LGBTQIA+ community. Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, a liberal religious organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, representing over a thousand Unitarian Universalist congregations in all 50 states.