Rainbow flag flying | Photo: Unsplash/Kirsty Lee
The police station in Bridlington, England took a stance of pride and inclusion when it raised a rainbow flag outside its building. Then, a group of people vandalized the flag and damaged the pole.
Authorities put up the flag as a sign of support for the country’s Pride celebrations.
Now, a group known as the Men of Bridlington are claiming responsibility for the vandalism. They also sent a homophobic and shocking letter to various leaders in the area explaining why.
The figures who received the letter include council leader Cllr Stephen Parnaby OBE , police and crime commissioner Keith Hunter, and East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight.
The email
Hull Daily Mail originally posted the contents of the email.
‘Recently a large rainbow LGBT flag has been flying at Bridlington Police Station . We cannot imagine why this decision was taken, but it is very wrong,’ the letter begins.
‘The police should not be involving themselves in politics and should not be appearing to show bias towards fringe groups in society. That point in itself should be enough to condemn the police, but we especially object to the endorsement of the LGBT movement.’
John Ball of the group wrote the letter and further goes on to describe homosexuality as ‘abnormal, perverted, anti-social, unnatural and dangerous’.
‘That is the view of normal people and within living memory, the practice of homosexuality was illegal in this country – for good reason.’
‘Tolerant of what?’
Ball also describes the details of the vandalism.
‘We vandalised the flag the other evening, and we note that as a result of our actions, it has had to be taken down. To be clear, we did not remove the flag, as we respect other people’s property and do not wish to be accused of theft.
“Instead, we vandalised it by cutting the rope above the cleat and releasing the halyard – the damage is easily remediable. However, should you re-fly the flag or anything similar, we WILL remove it and we will also take whatever other action we consider appropriate and proportionate. We trust that further action will not necessary.’
Finally, Ball asks a question of the leaders and people of Bridlington: ‘If you were walking past a Humberside police station with a young child, how would you explain that flag?’
He continues: ‘We know what the answer from the LGBT community will be. They will say that children should be taught to be tolerant, to which our answer would be a further question: Tolerant of what?
‘We do NOT support the LGBT community. Our message to them is: We think you are perverts and freaks, and you need to keep it in the closet. More pertinently, it is not for public bodies to endorse the LGBT movement. If such a flag is ever flown from a public building in Bridlington again, it WILL be removed.’
No place here
An update from the Hull Daily Mail reveals police are investigating this as a hate crime.
‘We are treating these malicious emails as a hate crime. Everyone has the right to be safe and secure and to live free from fear or harassment,’ said Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Peach.
‘Hate incidents or crimes are based on ignorance, prejudice, discrimination and hate and have no place in our society.’
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