BurlCo Town's Pride Flag Stolen In 'Deliberate, Hateful Gesture': Mayor

EVESHAM, NJ — A Burlington County town's Pride flag was stolen last weekend in what they mayor called "a deliberate, hateful gesture."

Evesham Township officials raised the flag to honor Pride Month several weeks ago outside the Gibson House Community Center. Over the weekend, it was stolen, says Mayor Jackie Veasy.

Police are investigating the incident.

"Let us be clear: this was an act of bigotry," Veasy said Monday in a statement. "It was meant to send a message of exclusion and fear. But let us also be clear about this: our township categorically rejects that message."

This is the second-straight year in which Evesham's Pride decorations have been tampered. In June 2024, several Pride flags hanging along the township's Main Street were found ripped down and tattered.

Evesham opens Pride Month each year with a flag-raising outside the Gibson House. The township is often considered LGBTQ+ friendly.

"This was not just an act of mere theft," Veasy said of the theft, "it was a deliberate, hateful gesture meant to target and intimidate members of our LGBTQ+ community. In a time when LGBTQ+ individuals across the country are facing growing pressure, discrimination, and attempts to roll back their rights, this incident strikes especially hard."

Anyone with information on the incident can contact Evesham Township Police by calling 856-983-1116 or the agency's confidential tip line at 856-983-4699. Anonymous tips can also be texted — text ETPDTIP to 847411.

Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, when members of the LGBTQ+ community and civilians on the street fought back after a police raid on a gay bar in Manhattan. The rebellion, which led to six days of protests, is considered a watershed event in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.

This year, Pride celebrations across the nation have come during a surge of anti-trans legislation. On June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that states can ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender children, despite every major medical association backing gender-affirming care for transgender youth.