KATY – A thief was caught on camera in broad daylight stealing pride flags from The First Christian Church in Katy.
“There’s definitely some tensions in the community. It’s being expressed, and people want their feelings to be heard that they are not necessarily happy with what we are doing, who we are or who we represent,” Reverend Heather Tolleson said.
Reverend Tolleson said it’s not first time the church has been targeted.
It’s Pride month and The First Christian Church off Morton Ranch Road near Katy is all about supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
“We always have a little extra color out on the street. We always fly a pride flag, there is always going to be a rainbow flag out front,” she said.
Reverend Tolleson said 16 pride flags have been stolen in the past 10 days and at least 40 in the past 10 months.
“Yesterday’s event happened at 10:41 in the morning. I came in to work for a meeting and when I came back the flags were gone,” she said.
Security video shows a black Chevrolet Silverado pulling into the parking lot. A man dressed in black gets out the truck, walks over to the flags and cuts them down. He gets back in his truck holding several flags before driving off.
Reverend Tolleson said the church is being targeted for their beliefs.
“Oh 100%, I believe the church is being targeted but more specifically it’s the LGBTQ community that is being targeted. Thinking the Katy area, we’ve been very lucky to be a representation of that, a pretty bold outwards facing representation of that so it’s not just about church being part this community as much as it is the community itself,” she said.
Earlier this month and last September, the church held a Drag Bingo event to raise money for trans youth. Supporters and protestors expressed their views.
Reverend Tolleson said the LGBTQ+ community is already facing a lot with the Texas legislation.
She has a message to the person who keeps stealing pride flags from the church property.
“I hope we live in a world where we can be adults and exist when we don’t share the same values to recognize the humanity in one another and begin to find ways to uplift that even through our differences,” she said.
The reverend said people from all over the nation have already mailed in replacement flags.
If you recognize the man from the video, contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.