The Story County Attorney’s office has not stated publicly whether Martinez also will be charged with a hate crime. Martinez has been charged with theft, reckless use of fire and criminal mischief. “But then there's the human part of me that thinks, he's doing real damage to his soul as well as his body.” And there's a part of me, the gay part of me, that says well fine, he shouldn't feel good right now,” she said.
Still, Gebbie said she’s worried for him. This man Cameron Mayfield mentioned in the picture was arrested in Ohio and will face up to 5 years for burning a gay pride flag.Sourcehttp://mrdemocratic. “If he were to approach our church in more anger and more violence he would not be welcome here because no one's violence is welcome here.” Martinez in, it would only be for conversation, or I should say it would only be if he'd be open to conversation,” she said. Initially Gebbie said publicly that she would welcome Martinez at the church, but after his visible agitation on the news, she’s refined that sentiment. Just the anger that anyone who has their property violated feels.” “Heartache…we've got lots of queer people in the church, though by no means are we the biggest percentage. “Some surprise that the real world is right here, right outside the walls of our sanctuary,” she said. When she called Ames Police, they had already made an arrest.Ĭongregants of the church generally like to believe Ames is a place where everything is fine, Gebbie said, and they have reacted to the incident with surprise, heartache and anger. IPR Senior minister Eileen Gebbie learned of the flag's disappearance on Tuesday morning. “Partly just because of the words itself, partly because of the history of violence against gay people by the Christian church, but in large part because he lives only one block away from us.” “Watching that news show, that segment, last night and hearing what he had to say and then reading the transcript…and saying that he feels like he's doing it in the name of God, seeking vengeance, and he said something about execution is a blessing of the Lord…was a real punch to the gut,” Gebbie said, sitting in the sanctuary of the church Thursday. “It is a judgement and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people,” Martinez says on camera. Then, he went on Des Moines’ KCCI-TV declaring his guilt and referencing Scripture. And even after Adolfo Martinez allegedly destroyed the church’s gay pride flag in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Gebbie wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. The welcoming and affirming Ames United Church of Christ, located downtown, existed in a “happy bubble,” says senior minister Eileen Gebbie. The victim in the Kaysville crime has requested that the public and media respect their privacy, according to the news release.A bubble of faith burst for a church in Ames this week after its gay pride flag was ripped down and burned. Our community is here to stay, loud and proud. “This one cruel act does not overshadow the thousands of allies across our state who are joyfully flying our colors this month,” he said. He said the act of vandalism is “a fearful attempt to intimidate our community back into the closet.” Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah said in a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune that the organization is grateful to the legislature for passing an LGBTQ inclusive hate crime law in 2019.
The state’s hate crime law had previously been criticized for being too weak.
If the Kaysville theft is determined to be a hate crime, it could be prosecuted under the state’s newly strengthened hate crime law, which was beefed up by a bill in 2019. There was one report of an assault against a gay man. Most of these crimes were instances of larceny, vandalism or intimidation. The state reported a total of eight hate crimes against LGBTQ people in 2019, the most recent year for which data has been released. bJE05QV3co- Kaysville Police June 3, 2021