Man Defaces LGBTQ Chalk Art at BYU Saying 'F*#g#*ts Can Go To Hell'

There has been much queer drama at Brigham Young University this past week. It began when former BYU president and church elder�Jeffrey R Holland gave a speech this past Monday "in which he essentially told students and staff to never advocate for�LGBT+ people to be authentically themselves," writes Pink News.

He�declared�"unequivocally" his "love for those who live with this same-sex challenge" before continuing: "We have to be careful that love and empathy do not get interpreted as condoning and advocacy, or that orthodoxy and loyalty to principle not be interpreted as unkindness or disloyalty to people.

"As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld his love from anyone, but he also never once said to anyone, 'Because I love you, you are exempt from keeping my commandments.'"

He said that he and the church's other senior leaders unequivocally love those who experience same-sex attraction, saying that the world too often has been 'crushingly cruel' to them," reports Deseret News.

In response, two organizers, BYU alumni Lauren Rogers and Valerie Dewey, created a Facebook event called Chalk to Support LGBTQ BYU Students for Friday. "Our LGBTQ+ friends at BYU have been hurting for support recently. We will be decorating the sidewalks with chalk in a display of�encouragement for them. Please join us in showing them they are still loved. Pride attire and flags welcome!"

"The main goal of the event was to support the LGBTQ community following Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's�speech�at University Conference on Monday, Dewey told the student newspaper The Daily Universe. "It was a just a poor choice of metaphor and wording. The general feeling from the talk was a call to arms."

Rogers said she was "deeply hurt" by Elder Holland's words and she knows how hard it is to be queer at BYU. She wanted to show support to any LGBTQ students and faculty at BYU and help make sure they knew they weren't alone.

But on Thursday night, "an unidentified man dumped water on the chalk drawings and used an anti-gay slur," and it was captured in a video circulating social media.

@amber_jane_9

Look who @truthspinner and @spartacus_unchained and I found today. ##byu ##lgbt ##bigotry ##utah ##exmormon ? original sound - Amber Sorensen

"Amber Sorensen, a Provo resident who came to check out the art and take pictures of it for her Instagram, said the man was walking around rinsing off a big rainbow drawing and a rainbow-colored Y on the sidewalk by the intersection. She pulled out her phone and started filming. Her friend who was with her asked the man if he was feeling 'a little less homophobic,'" reports the Daily Universe.

"He then responded with what is heard in the video: 'Oh – no, uh f–-s go to hell,' and walked away. Sorensen is then heard in the background saying, 'Oh, yeah. I'm sure the Bible actually says that.'

"The Daily Universe declined to confirm the man's identity without speaking to him directly, and received no response."

In her TikTok, the unidentified man is seen pouring water on the chalk statements on the pavement. "This is how Holland would have us love our neighbors," she writes in titles over the video.

In a statement, BYU condemns the man's actions: "We unequivocally condemn behavior 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 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.

"This behavior runs counter to the directives shared by President Worthen in his University Conference address Monday.

"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."