Gosford Anglican Church Responds To Vandals Who Tore Down Rainbow Welcome Sign
Image: Image: Facebook - Gosford Anglican Church
The iconic Gosford Anglican Church in NSW has been targeted by vandals who tore down their rainbow sign.
Taking to social media the church shared images of the very soggy sign being fished out of the local river.
But organisers have clapped back, vowing to get the sign back up soon.
Gosford Anglican Church: “love isn’t afraid of a bit of water”
Gosford Anglican Church in NSW is well known for their support of the LGBTQIA+ community over the years.
The progressive church has recently been displaying a rainbow sign out the front of the church, with the progress flag as the backdrop the sign simply reads “Everyone Welcome.”
However it seems someone wasn’t quite happy to welcome everyone with the sign being taken down and thrown into the local Brisbane River on Saturday.
But the Gosford Anglican Church has hit back with humour at the sad situation.
“Apparently someone thought throwing our rainbow welcome banner into Brisbane Waters would stop us being inclusive” they wrote on Facebook.
“Spoiler: it didn’t.”
“She’s been rescued, soggy but unbothered.”
“We’ll give her a rinse, a revival, and then raise her again. Because welcome isn’t optional, and love isn’t afraid of a bit of water (or of homophobia).”
Also posting on Instagram they confirmed the sign would be back up in its rightful place soon.
“She’ll be clean, dry, and ready to slay again soon” they wrote.
View this post on Instagram
The Gosford Anglican Church has made plenty of headlines in the past, largely due to the efforts of Father Rod Bower.
The priest who was formerly at the church for 22 years moved on in 2022 but not before establishing a long legacy of support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Bower caught the attention of the public for his politically charged signs displayed outside the church showing defiant support on issues such as same sex marriage and LGBTQIA+ rights among many other things.
In 2016 he famously displayed a sign reading “LGBTIQ people please forgive us.”
“The issue of human sexuality is one of the major issues in the Anglican community,” he told the Star Observer at the time.
“I think it would be fair to say this issue has the potential to cause a schism in the Anglican community” he said.
“The ongoing debate we’re having is damaging to gay and lesbian people.”
Other signs he posted included “72 per cent of Australians now support marriage equality” and “everyone should have the rite [sic] to be married.”
In 2022 Bower left the local church take up a new position with the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, however his legacy has lived on with the church.
Affording high honours to people who express detrimental and discredited views will undoubtedly compound the damage their opinions have caused. pic.twitter.com/0PbbUu4EAl
— The Venerable Canon Rod Bower (@FrBower) January 22, 2021
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