To the editor:

I want to thank all the people and groups who expressed support on behalf of the LGBTQI-plus community after the all-inclusive pride flag was vandalized from my front door frame earlier this month.

To those who expressed doubt that this was in fact a hate crime, let me point out that it was a deliberate, planned action that resulted in at least some form of damage (even if minimal) to my home. It took surveillance of my home, planning as to what type of tools to use to remove and pry the flag loose from the door frame. It was a targeted attack against an individual (or group — the larger LGBTQI-plus community which that flag represents) which is a protected class (sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) under state Human Rights law.

I am thankful to Mr. Ben Douglass (“‘Loving your neighbor’ isn’t enough,” Enterprise, Dec. 17) for his insightful comments on the morality of his neighbors. How he is looking out for their moral good and well-being as he interjects himself in his sense of right and wrong into their personal and family lives. It is good to know Mr. Douglass is more knowledgeable in bible verse and understanding than an ordained Episcopal minister.

I must correct Mr. Douglass on his perception that I was attacking the Christian faith in the vandalism article printed in the Dec. 6 edition of this paper.

All the major world religions have some form of “do unto other as you would have done onto you,” “love your neighbor as yourself” the second commandment of Moses shared by Hebrews, Christians and other faiths. “Respect the inherent dignity and self-worth of every person” from the Unitarian Universalist community. These values are or at least should be shared by all people.

Perhaps Mr. Douglass is not aware that LGBTQI-plus people can and do identify in all faith beliefs including Christianity. He is not aware I was raised in a strict Irish-Catholic/German-Lutheran family. I attended Catholic grade school, graduated from a four-year Catholic university with a Business major and a concentration in Catholic tradition, scripture, theology and philosophy. I served as an alter server as a youth through university graduation, as a lector, eucharistic minister and usher in the various Catholic churches I’ve belonged to. I have as much right to quote general Christian beliefs on “loving your neighbor” as anyone else.

Mr. Douglass should heed the warning to “judge not, lest you be not judged. For with the judgment, you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2) or perhaps “condemn not, lest ye be condemned.” In short, Mr. Douglass, leave your neighbors to live their own lives as you live yours! Just love and accept them for who they are!

I find it “queer” that people are “questioning” others about how to love. “Les Bi an” inspiration of light during this “Trans”-tastic time of year “Bi” offering our neighbors a Merry and “Gay” holiday season as we explore the “Interse(x)”ionalities of our various “Two-Spirit”(ual) faith beliefs that s“Pan” our Adirondack North Country region.

Kelly Metzgar

Saranac Lake