Local place of worship reports stolen BLM, Pride flags

SALISBURY, Md. – An investigation is underway after a local place of worship reported stolen property.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Salisbury put out a statement on social media Wednesday saying that a pride flag and a black lives matter flag had been stolen from their property. A number of members reached out to Salisbury PFLAG Executive Director Mark DeLancey individually. He told WMDT that in some ways, a crime like this can be worse than a physical confrontation.

“Something physical, you can go to the doctor and get it over with. But something like this just embeds the psychological trauma that a lot of LGBTQ people go through on a daily basis,” DeLancey said.

In their statement, the UUSF concluded: “The flags will be replaced. We will respond to this act not with fear, not with anger, but with love, resilience, and an even stronger dedication to our faith’s mission.”

That still leaves the matter of legal repercussions for whoever is responsible for the stolen flags.

DeLancey characterized this as a hate crime: “Find out who they are, their names, and obviously prosecute to the utmost part of the law of what needs to be done when it comes to hate crimes, because this is considered a hate crime.”

But the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office said that, currently, this is not being investigated as a hate crime, but rather a case of stolen property.

The Sheriff’s Office said they’ve already conducted a neighborhood check, and will be returning for another as they continue to gather information.

If you have any information or have seen any suspicious activity, you can submit an anonymous tip online or contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-948-4891.