LOVETTSVILLE, VA — Several LGBT Pride flags have been stolen or damaged this week in Lovettsville, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The flags were targeted as Lovettsville’s LGBT community celebrates Pride Month.
The incidents occurred from Monday, June 14, to Wednesday, June 16 in the town of Lovettsville. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said they are investigating to see if the incidents are related.
On Monday, June 14, two Pride flags were damaged at residences on East Pennsylvania Avenue and South Loudoun Street in Lovettsville, according to the sheriff’s office. The two flags were later stolen from the South Loudoun Street location.
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The sheriff’s office said anyone in the area should check their exterior cameras for activity from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday and from 8:50 p.m. on Tuesday to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Another incident targeting Pride flags occurred between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning on nearby Berlin Turnpike. There, authorities said three Pride flags were stolen.
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In a letter to residents, Lovettsville Mayor Nate Fontaine condemned the targeting of LGBT residents. “To have property destroyed targeting members of our community is horrible and can be frightening for those targeted,” he wrote. “For the individuals who committed these crimes, know that your bigoted efforts to terrorize members of our community will not stand.”
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said the incidents are being taken seriously. “The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our county and these incidents will be fully investigated,” he said.
The sheriff’s office did not disclose whether the incidents are being treated as hate crimes. In 2019, the most recent available data only recorded two hate crimes based on sexual orientation in Loudoun County. Virginia recorded a total of 27 hate crimes against LGBT people in 2020, according to Virginia State Police.
Fontaine said the people responsible for stealing the Pride flags are trying to tell others how to live. “They are destroying property, in particular Pride flags, that is meant to remind folks that we have the freedoms to love who we love, that no one should force ideas on others, and that love is integral to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Anyone with information about the crimes is encouraged to contact Detective Carpenter of the Louduon County Sheriff’s office at 571-577-3072 or by emailing jennifer.l.carpenter@loudoun.gov. Tips can also be submitted to Deputy First Class Edney at 571-291-1703.
At the end of his letter, Fontaine said LGBT people will always be welcome in Lovettsville. “Know that there are many of us in the community who stand with you and will always be supportive, inclusive, and that together we will continue to live up to the motto, ‘The Town that Begins with Love.'”
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