A man is being investigated by Brigham Young University (BYU) after he damaged LGBTQ+ friendly chalk art near campus.
The incident took place on Thursday (26 August), shortly after an event that encouraged students to write positive words for the school’s queer community.
After everyone went home, the unidentified man proceeded to pour water on the messages and shouted anti-LGBTQ+ language.
The incident was captured on video by Provo, Utah resident Amber Sorensen. In the recorded clip, he can be heard, saying “Oh no, uh, f****** go to hell.”
“I still kind of can’t believe that I saw that with my real-life eyes, because that is something that you see on other people’s videos,” Sorensen told Fox13 news.
Anthony Guth, a witness who was also at the scene, said that he and Sorensen were admiring the thoughtful messages before the man began defacing the chalk art.
Lauren Rogers, an alumni of the religious university, organized the gathering to combat the views of former BYU president, Jeffrey R Holland.
Earlier this week, Holland delivered an anti-LGBTQ+ speech, in which he encouraged students to not advocate for the queer community.
“The events of this week, including that speech, have kind of drawn a line in the sand,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen’s video managed to go viral on TikTok, which led to BYU releasing a statement.
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“We unequivocally condemn behaviour and language that is disrespectful and hurtful. There is no place for hateful speech, or prejudice of any kind, on our campus or in our community,” the statement said.
“The Honor Code explicitly states that each member of the BYU community has the obligation to respect others. The incident seen in a video circulating on social media is now under review.
“We are striving to create a community of belonging composed of students, faculty and staff whose hearts are knit together in love. Every student and individual on our campus deserves that feeling of belonging.”
Even though the event encountered a homophobic road bump, Rogers said that a lot of positivity came out of the gathering.
She revealed that people who weren’t initially involved in the festivities asked to join the group because of its impactful message.
“When we explained it to them, they were like ‘That’s amazing, can we join?’” Rogers told The Daily Universe.
On Friday (27 August), students went back to the chalk filled area to write more LGBTQ+ friendly messages.
Read BYU’S full statement below.
The Honor Code explicitly states that each member of the BYU community has the obligation to respect others. The incident seen in a video circulating on social media is now under review. 2/4
— BYU (@BYU) August 27, 2021
We are striving to create a community of belonging composed of students, faculty and staff whose hearts are knit together in love. Every student and individual on our campus deserves to feel that belonging. 4/4
— BYU (@BYU) August 27, 2021
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