Fresno church’s rainbow doors vandalized again

Despite that pressure, the church said the latest vandalism would not alter its commitment to inclusion. In a statement, the congregation said the damage was disheartening but affirmed that it would continue standing with people who face discrimination, isolation and alienation. Biasell said church members have grown used to that kind of hate language, though he said it still hurts.

The Big Red Church has stood in Fresno’s Tower District for 76 years and has described itself as an open and affirming congregation for more than three decades. Its message is rooted in the belief that God’s love extends to everyone, regardless of religious background, sexual orientation, family makeup, race, age, gender or physical and mental ability.

The rainbow doors were first painted as a Pride Month project. The church shared photos of the display on Facebook in January 2023 and thanked the children, teens and adults who helped create it. The work became a public sign of the church’s message and its place in a changing neighborhood.

The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which was formed in a 1957 merger, and it says its role goes beyond Sunday worship. The church says it hosts addiction-support groups, provides affordable childcare through the Head Start program and works with local organizations on efforts to improve Fresno. Why this matters: the repeated vandalism shows how faith, inclusion and community support can become flashpoints, but it also shows how quickly neighbors can rally around a church under pressure.