BUFORD, Ga. (AP) — Members of a metro Atlanta church say their sign outside proclaiming that “Satan made gays & transgender” has been covered in black paint by vandals.
Gwinnett County police Cpl. Michele Pihera said officers were called to the Back To The Bible Holiness Church in Buford after the paint was discovered Monday.
Church representatives told police they hadn’t received any complaints about the message before the damage.
Don Flint, a minister at the church, tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the sign had been up for about three weeks — well before the June 12 shooting that left 49 people dead at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Pastor Bobby Wright tells WSB-TV he plans to put the sign back up. “Same-sex marriage is sin. Filthy,” Wright said.
Buford is about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Watch a segment from WSB-TV below.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.