On Nov. 7, about 25 members of the Campsbellburg, Ind.-based Old Paths Baptist Church protested outside Bloomington’s The Inner Chef, chanting anti-gay slogans, burning a gay pride flag and brandishing signs with messages like ‘Fags Die, God Laughs,’ the Indiana Daily Student reported.
Bloomington police officers responded to the scene but only to stop things from turning chaotic, said police sergeant Mick Williams. He said the officers did intervene, stopping protestors when they began burning the New Glory, a gay-pride version of the American flag that features rainbow colors as the stripes.
John Lewis, pastor of the church, said his group burned the flag there because it believes gay people will burn in hell. He added that he plans to research the legality of burning the flag and intends to burn the flag legally the next time his group protests.
The protest came less than a month after two adolescents stole and burned a version of the New Glory that had been hanging outside The Inner Chef’s storefront. The minors admitted to stealing the flag because they thought it was ‘unpatriotic.’
— Andrew Davis