Post date: 06/18/2023 | FCC KATY | News
LGBTQ-affirming Katy church receives deluge of flag donations after Pride flags repeatedly stolen
LGBTQ-affirming First Christian Church in Katy has been deluged with donated Pride flags after church leaders said their flags were repeatedly stolen this month.
According to lead pastor Rev. Heather Tolleson, about 28 of the church’s flags were stolen this month but about 80 donated flags have rolled in from across the country to replace them.
The flags were put up seven at a time, but the church said each week, thieves would steal the flags.
The church would raise new flags, Tolleson said, but they were taken again days later. The thefts occurred at all hours, she said, but most of them were conducted during the day.
“We have lots of video imaging of cars and people just pulling up and cutting the flags down,” Tolleson said. “It’s all in broad daylight, too, like they really didn’t care if they were seen.”
The church made a Facebook post about the stolen flags, and soon flags or donations for flags started arriving.
“We began to get flags just from all over the country, not just the Houston area,” Tolleson said. “We got loads of support and people just saying, ‘Buy more flags. Keep buying flags.'”
Tolleson believes some of the uptick in thefts is due to June being “Pride Month,” but she noted the thefts and vandalism have been on the rise since the church first gained media attention in late August.
