LOGAN – It’s happened three times in the past two months.
“Our flag being either stolen or ripped on our property,” says Logan resident Emily Calhoun. “It’s definitely been challenging having it happen multiple times and not knowing if it will happen again.”
She and her partner put out a Pride flag in early June for Pride Month and have replaced it almost every other week. They both want to fly their Pride flag – but have debated continuing to do it because they don’t feel safe doing so.
Knowing someone is walking up to driveways armed with a sharp object after dark makes Calhoun’s partner, Colleen Meidt, feel this is a larger public safety risk.
“To know someone with a very sharp object is running up in the darkness of night slashing flags just makes me feel like, are other properties at risk?”
Calhoun isn’t alone.
This weekend several flags and poles were also stolen and vandalized at the Logan Pride Center. Calhoun was one of at least three members of the LGBTQ+ community who came forward this weekend to report the same repeated issue to police.
Dorothy Wallis, board president of Logan Pride, says it gets a lot more love than hate from the local community and has partnerships with many businesses – but the past weekend underscores one thing for her.
“This just shows how far we still have to go,” she said.
Sawyer Berggren, a board member with Logan Pride, said a number of flags have been destroyed numerous times at his home since May – including in the past week – but it won’t deter him because it makes others feel like they belong. He flies two pride flags, a progress flag and a transgender flag.
“I’ve gotten compliments on them from other people in the community walking around,” Berggren said. “They say it makes them feel safe, so I very much will always still fly them.”
Wallis says people shouldn’t have to debate displaying Pride flags because of fear of becoming a target.
“That’s pretty sad to have to hide aspects of your identity because people have too much time on their hands and too much hatred in their hearts to just drive past. If you don’t agree with something drive past it if you are unwilling to educate yourself and learn more,” she said.
This past weekend police said several property owners had security cameras; however, they didn’t capture the event.
Logan City Police Assistant Chief Curtis Hooley says the best thing people can do is take a picture, get a description and call police right away.
“It shouldn’t happen,” he said. “People should learn to respect other people’s viewpoints and their property and we certainly would like to hold them accountable for when they do stuff like that.”
LOGAN — The Logan City Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a person suspected of stealing a pride flag from a Logan home. The theft was caught on camera, Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7:41 p.m. A Ring doorbell camera caught footage of the suspect. They are seen wearing a western hat, jeans, […]
He reminds the public it is not legal to remove or damage flags on someone else’s property and may result in criminal charges of trespassing, theft or criminal mischief.
Logan Pride doesn’t have an endless supply of flags, but it would like to help. Wallis says community members with destroyed flags may reach out to the organization by email and it will do what it can to help get a replacement.
It also offers resources and a safe online community on Facebook, Instagram and anonymously on Discord.