Georgia Church's Anti-LGBT Sign Covered in Paint

Buford, GA — Someone smeared black paint all over a Georgia church sign critical of gay and transgender people, police say.

The sign, at Back to the Bible Holiness Church in Buford, was vandalized some time between 6 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday, according to Gwinnett County Police.

Its message, which had been up for about three weeks, read: "GOD CREATED MAN & WOMAN SATAN MADE GAYS & TRANSGENDER GEN 5:2."

In the King James Bible, Genesis 5:2 reads, "Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created."

When police arrived at the church Monday morning, they found it covered in black paint.

A church representative who met with them told officers the church had received no complaints about the message prior to the incident. But the damage came just hours after a local television station reported on the sign.

According to WXIA-TV, Pastor Bobby Wright defended the sign, saying it does not incite hate against an LGBT community still reeling from the recent nightclub shooting in Orlando.

"I haven’t cursed anyone. I haven’t called anyone a name," Wright told the station, saying he puts up signs with strong language all the time. "I'm a voice for the community."

Wright has been pastor at Back to the Bible Holiness for 20 years.

Buford resident Prestee Earls, who spoke to WXIA, saw it differently.

“I think they would feel bad,” she said to the station. “If I walked by and saw it, I would feel bad for them.”

The church did not immediately return a message from Patch seeking comment for this story.