In a Nov. 20 statement, President Jim Daly said in part:
Saturday night’s horrific shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs exposes the evil and wickedness inside the human heart. We must condemn in the strongest terms possible the taking of innocent life. Our hearts break for those families who have lost loved ones and who are suffering this unimaginable tragedy. We pray for them.
Other ministry leaders have condemned the attack, including Brady Boyd, who pastors New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs, which has a population of 480,000, is known for its disparate communities, as well as its conservative presence bolstered by numerous churches and ministries. In the wake of the shooting, many commenting on the tragedy online have held conservative Christians responsible for the attack.
Shortly after the vandalism on its sign took place, FOTF covered the graffiti with plastic. ChurchLeaders reached out to the Colorado Springs Police Department for comment. Sgt. Jason Ledbetter told The Gazette last week, “We went out there to investigate if there was a crime that took place. There is no suspect information at this time.”
Twitter account “colorado peoples press” tweeted images of the vandalism and “a press release and report back from those who completed this direct action.” The release, addressed “to those fighting for the queer community,” acknowledged the writers had “acted without consent from the families” of those who died. The vandals, however, “chose to proceed with this action because of the incredible violence that Focus on the Family continues to perpetuate against the 2SLQBTQIA community.”
“It is no surprise that someone did this in the city that is home to such a hateful organization as Focus on the Family,” says the statement. “If you visit their website, you will see them eagerly display their desire to rid the world of all queer people.” The statement is signed, “Members of the Front Ranger Queer Community.”
In a statement to ChurchLeaders about the vandalism of Focus on the Family’s sign, Jim Daly said:
We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual. This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate. Focus on the Family is privileged to be one of many organizations in our city positioned to help and support the needs of struggling individuals and families. The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday night’s senseless attack are in our prayers. We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry’s property.
