LOWELL, Mich. — People in Lowell are upset with a sign at a local business.
They say it spreads a hateful message toward the LGBTQ+ community ahead of the area’s Pride celebration, but the business owners disagree and say people need to “let it go.”
The pastor of the church who rented the space said the “LGBTQ+ agenda” needed to be opposed.
The Old Theater put up the sign on Wednesday.
It references Proverbs 11:2 in the bible, reading “WHEN PRIDE COMETH, THEN COMETH SHAME…”
“When you grow up…hearing that you’re going to Hell and that you’re an abomination and all of these terrible things just for existing as you are. When you see those verses, you know exactly what they’re trying to say,” said Nicole Lintemuth, Lowell Pride president.
She says it’s especially repulsive to see this message displayed on Main Street just days before the organization’s second annual event, which takes place on Saturday and is designed to celebrate the Lowell’s LGBTQ+ community members.
“We expected that from a certain group of people in town, but to see a business in town profiting from that kind of message,” Lintemuth added.
In an email to FOX17 late Thursday, Joshua Langdon, a pastor at Bible Believers Church in Lowell said his church rented out the space.
He said the church has rented out the space for most of June, but did not elaborate on what the other messages will say.
Langdon wrote:
“The PRIDE community in Lowell is currently attacking The Old Theater using Facebook community groups and smearing the theater using Google reviews. Sadly, this type of cancel culture intolerance is to be expected from the PRIDE community. Tolerance has become one directional in our culture. Christians are only tolerated if they shut up, stay out of society, and keep their opinions in the church building.”
The LGBTQ+ agenda is extreme, anti-God, and a threat to the very fabric of our society. It must be opposed by Bible believing Christians, and it must be opposed in the public sphere.”
We do not hate the LGBTQ+ community. We love them, enough to tell them the truth regarding the error of their way. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. This gospel message is the message that we wish to reach the PRIDE community with.”
The Old Theater’s co-owners, Lisa and David Reed, rent space on the marquee to whoever pays the $50 per day fee.
“I’m sorry and there’s no connection, so let it go,” said Lisa Reed.
She says the reaction to the display startled her and while they never meant to hurt anyone, she sees no reason to be upset.
“The verse has nothing to do with the movement. It took me a minute to even figure it out and I see it must be the word ‘pride’ they’re all getting upset about. The word pride means a lot of different things and it’s been around a lot longer than ‘the movement’ that you referred to,” Lisa added, “It’d be like if there was a happy birthday message up there and someone called because they didn’t like the name of the person. ‘Happy Birthday, Samantha.’ ‘How dare you call her Samantha.’ What? It’s totally unrelated.”
While other community members say it is not an ‘innocent bible verse’ and it is not just ‘no big deal.’
“The LGBTQ+ community is everywhere. We are in every community and we deserve to be recognized and feel welcomed in our hometowns,” said Lintemuth.
The Reeds said Thursday the sign would come down by the end of the day because that’s how long it was rented for.
They say the next sign will display an event happening there on Friday, but declined to elaborate further.
