Local News
“This is something that we feel like it’s important to be loud about, because certainly, the forces of hate are being pretty loud right now.”
Old South Church
A “God loves trans people” sign displayed outside a Back Bay church has been stolen three times in recent weeks, the church said, but church leadership said they won’t stop sharing the message.
“This is something that we feel like it’s important to be loud about, because certainly, the forces of hate are being pretty loud right now,” said Ashley Popperson, an associate minister at Old South Church. “It’s important to us to use whatever power and privilege we can to let people know they’re loved.”
Old South Church in Copley Square first began displaying the message on the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth streets last fall, multimedia director Jamie Garuti Sage told Boston.com, where it stayed for months.
A previous iteration of the “God loves trans people” sign at Old South Church. Old South Church
However, beginning in March, the purple sign on a message board outside the church began to go missing. Garuti Sage first noticed it was missing from the church’s message board and put another one up that same day.
A few weeks later, it happened again, she said. And then again, just a week later.
Last week, the church hung a banner, made by a Dorchester-based printing shop, in the historic church’s exterior arches that has the same design as the stolen poster. It was still there as of Tuesday night.
“It wasn’t even a question if we were going to not display signs like that anymore. It was immediately like, ‘Okay, let’s get this back up, and is there a way to make the message even bigger, even clearer?’” Garuti Sage said. “A lot of people appreciate Old South Church for that, for not backing down and staying true to our values of loving and accepting everyone.”
Popperson, who identifies as a queer Christian minister, told Boston.com that the church did not contact the police about the apparent thefts.
“We don’t want to assume anything about whoever’s taking it, and we wish them healing and wish them to know that they too are loved,” Popperson said. “I’ve learned not to guess why people do anything. People surprise you 100 percent of the time.”
Old South Church’s post on Facebook about the thefts and new banner garnered thousands of reactions and more than 100 comments, including positive responses from congregations across the country. According to Garuti Sage, a church in Virginia reached out and asked for the file so they could print the same banner.
Popperson emphasized the church’s history of support for the LGBTQ+ community, dating back to the AIDS crisis.
“It feels like a really clear part of Old South’s mission is to be loudly queer affirming in the space that feels really ancient looking,” Popperson said. “God loves trans people, and it’s important that trans folks know that. Know that they’re loved and that they belong.”
Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
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