The Church in Ocean Park in Santa Monica awoke Friday to homophobic graffiti splashed across its entryway and exterior walls, an act that leaders described as a pointed attempt to intimidate the city’s LGBTQ community. Congregants quickly taped paper over the slurs and pledged to respond not with silence, but with more art, planning repairs and a larger public mural. The vandalism came just days after the church reported receiving a similarly hateful email, leaving members shaken but determined.
Church leaders discovered the damage Friday morning and immediately moved to cover the words while they organized cleanup and a broader response, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The outlet reported that the graffiti explicitly targeted LGBTQ people and followed the earlier threatening email to the congregation, suggesting the act may not have been random. Instead of scaling back its visibility, the church is considering extending the rainbow mural that already frames its entryway so that it wraps around the entire building.
“We are not intimidated by cowards who destroy beauty in the middle of the night,” the Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen said, as the congregation launched an online fundraiser to pay for repainting, programming and support for those affected by the attack. Santa Monica City Councilmember Dan Hall condemned the vandalism as “an attempt to intimidate, to divide, and to push LGBTQ+ people back into the shadows,” according to the same report. Church leaders say their response will center on art, healing circles and community events rather than retreat. Santa Monica Daily Press
A long record of local LGBTQ advocacy
The Church in Ocean Park has built a decades-long reputation as a progressive community hub, hosting mutual-aid groups, arts events and social-justice programs. Its pastor, Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen, has officiated same-sex marriages since 2008, according to Spectrum News 1. The congregation also co-sponsors the annual Santa Monica Queer Prom with the Samohi Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism and the City of Santa Monica, a partnership highlighted by local tourism officials. Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.
What the law says
Under California law, damaging a place of worship can be charged as vandalism and, when motivated by bias, may carry enhanced penalties. Vandalism of a house of worship is specifically criminalized in Penal Code section 594.3. The state Attorney General outlines the difference between a “hate incident” and a prosecutable hate crime and provides reporting tools and support resources for victims through the California Department of Justice, while hate-crime sentencing enhancements are detailed in statutes such as California Penal Code §422.75.
How to help
Leaders at the Church in Ocean Park are asking for donations to help pay for repainting, community programming and safety measures, and the congregation lists several ways to contribute on its donation page. The church accepts gifts online, via text-to-give and by mail, and shares contact information for volunteers and organizers. The Church in Ocean Park provides mailing instructions and an online donate button for supporters; the building is located at 235 Hill Street in Santa Monica.
