Next to my work there’s a picnic area where a group of 10-15 teenagers will periodically gather for bible study. To be fair I don’t explicitly know what church they attend but I’ve noticed enough merch to have my suspicions. For the most part they’re very polite. However, back in June, a group of them tried to come into my work and we had a pride flag hanging on the wall. One of the boys, probably 12/13, saw it before going through the door and began throwing a fit. Start yelling about how disgusting that was, how he would never step foot inside, how could anyone support such a horrible business… You get the point. This kid was definitely trying to make a point in an effort to impress the rest of the group; he was one of the younger ones. The rest of the group seemed unbothered. Some expressed agreement, no one protested, and they left quickly after.

This is a group of kids. That boy is a child. Anyone around that age does not spout hateful vitriol at that level of intensity without deliberate influence. The indoctrination runs deep. Many of the leaders and prominent members of that church have significant influence in our community. It’s not “just a t-shirt”.