Anti-LGBTQ YouTubers trolled a progressive Plano church. It was firebombed weeks later No connection has been established between the attack and the church’s appearance in the video, and Plano police are still investigating whether the bombing is a hate crime. Weeks before the Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano was damaged in a firebomb attack early Sunday, members of the church welcomed four strangers — one of them carrying a camera — with hugs, smiles and the promise of a judgment-free fellowship. They didn’t immediately know they were being trolled and baited by a group of influencers who frequently take videos of themselves pranking progressives and liberals. The video, titled “We acted LGBT at LGBT Church,” has garnered nearly 200,000 views since it was posted to YouTube on July 12. No connection has been established between the posting of the video and the firebombing of the church, which resulted in damage to the building’s doors, but no deaths or injuries. A spokesperson for the Plano Police Department, which is investigating the arson, said in a statement Sunday the department “cannot confirm this as a hate crime at the time.”

But in a statement on Facebook about the attack, the church alluded to its appearance in the video, which it says was filmed during and after its Sunday service on June 25. The church called the YouTubers a “hate group” and said it has been “reviewing building security and working with the Plano Police Department since the intrusion.”

While a motive behind the Plano attack has not been discerned, the Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD tracked more than 350 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault motivated by anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in an 11-month span beginning last June. Texas saw the third-highest number of anti-LGBTQ incidents in the country.

In North Texas, gatherings frequented by members of the LGBTQ community, such as drag shows and pride events, often draw armed protesters, including members of extremist groups.

The video begins with two men, Cassady Campbell and Bo Alford, standing in the church parking lot, acting out stereotypical caricatures of gay men — both use pronounced lisps and limp their wrists — and vowing to “expose” what they described as the church’s false teachings. The pair say they are in front of a Unitarian Universalist church, but don’t specify it’s in Plano.

Inside, they are greeted by several congregants who welcome them with handshakes and hugs.

“I’m glad you guys are here,” one of the church members says with a smile. The church member briefly describes part of the Unitarian Universalist ideology — there is no heaven and no hell and what happens to one person after death happens to all people.

“The essential point is, the bad things you do are not so infinitely, eternally bad that there’s an eternal damnation for it,” the member explains. Different Unitarian Universalist members are welcome to their own interpretation of the afterlife. The YouTubers are encouraged to take a hymnal, read about the church’s teachings and enjoy food with other members.

Another church member, who described herself as a lesbian who was once married to a man, explains that she came to the congregation “sad and broken and disillusioned, and this community put me back together and gave me strength.”

“Were you turned on to your husband at all, like were you into him, or did you just kind of do it?” Campbell asks the woman. She responds the question was inappropriate.

The pair is told they’re not allowed to record a sermon but do so anyway — interrupting it with shouts of “Yas b----!” and “Slay queen!” Eventually, both men drop the act and explain they’re in the church to “plant the seed” of what they describe as they Bible’s true teachings. After the reveal, church members tell them they’re lovely and polite and thank them for visiting.

Alford has published several videos of him antagonizing people at pride events, including LGBTQ-friendly churches. In one video, a congregant forcibly removes him from a church.

Campbell frequently posts videos of himself harassing women in public places, including gyms, shopping malls and grocery stores. In one recent video, he walks behind a woman at a gym and starts exercising with a weight while breathing deeply in her ear. “Daddy’s so pumped up right now,” he says. The woman tells Campbell not to talk to her and he laughs while walking away. In another video, he hits on women shopping in a Wal-Mart and then calls them ugly after being rejected.

In a phone call Monday, Alford said he was “shocked” to learn of the bombing.

“That church, I thought we had a very good connection. I have no hostile feelings toward any of them,” he said. “They were all very open and willing to talk. Nothing but good words to say for them.”

Alford said he didn’t regret any part of the video.

Campbell did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Monday.

Jodie Zoeller-Bloom, the past president of the church who is currently leading the congregation while its current president is out of town, said the church would not comment aside from its statement posted to Facebook.

Sunday wasn’t the first time the church has made headlines. In 2017, somebody stole a pride flag that was flying outside the church and replaced it with an American flag, leaving a note saying there are only two genders.

A pastor encouraged the thief to “have a conversation” with members of the church.

Source: Dallas News https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2023/07/24/anti-lgbtq-youtubers-trolled-a-progressive-plano-church-it-was-firebombed-weeks-later/

Greetings, here's an update from your UUReddit Moderation Team:

As you may have noticed since our last update, we have added /u/ChickenpoxForDinner and /u/ohnoitsaslothcano as moderators. Welcome!

Your moderators have been working on a new comments policy in response to member requests. This is often the landing page for many people who are new to Unitarian Universalism, who have never been to a UU service but are curious about joining. We want to create the best representation of our faith that we can. We don't want anyone's first impression of Unitarian Universalism to be a bad faith post asking if Black lives really matter or if using a person's correct pronouns is "political correctness gone too far." While these questions may be an intellectual exercise for some, they are a hostile display to many and in direct conflict with our values.

Spam, doxxing, threats or slurs will result in an immediate ban.

Participation in this space should reflect the anti-oppression values of our faith. This means:

* No Bigotry * No Racism * No Transphobia * No Homophobia * No Sexism * No Ableism 

Users may be banned upon their first infraction of these rules.

Most importantly, this is not a space where people of color, LGBTQ people, and others are expected to explain and reexplain their identity and the oppression they face. Concern trolling, sea lioning, just tasking questions-ing will be met with a warning, temporary ban, or permanent ban based on the mod team's discretion.

Finally, we would like to remind you all that in this space, we are encouraged to be in covenant with each other. Be generous in your reading of others comments - assume and extend good faith. If you wouldn't say it to someone in your congregation*, consider whether or not you would say it here.

This is an ongoing conversation. We thank you for your participation and welcome your feedback.

*Sometimes people use this space to talk about issues within their congregation. It's good that people feel comfortable sharing here, and it can be very helpful, even healing to get a fresh perspective on a problem. However, be advised that this is a public forum and it is accessible to everyone.

Our current moderation policy is as follows:

The rules of /r/UUReddit are:

• No spam

• No doxxing

• No threats

• No slurs

In addition to those three hard and fast rules, the moderators have written this statement which we hope will guide our community:

In this space, we are encouraged to be in covenant with each other. Be generous in your reading of others comments - assume and extend good faith. If you wouldn't say it to someone in your congregation*, consider whether or not you would say it here.

Our participation should reflect the anti-oppression values of our faith. Members are encouraged to learn about the history of oppressive systems and commit to dismantling them. The work of the Journey Toward Wholeness Committee is one place to start.

No member will be banned without at least one warning, unless the account is clearly a spam account. Comments may be deleted at the moderators discretion if:

• they are blatantly bigoted in any way, meaning they disparage or deny the fundamental equality of some group of human beings

• they detract from the community's ability to have a respectful and robust conversation

*Sometimes people use this space to talk about issues within their congregation. It's good that people feel comfortable sharing here, and it can be very helpful, even healing to get a fresh perspective on a problem. However, be advised that this is a public forum and it is accessible to everyone.

You can read more about what prompted this policy here.

As was the case a few years ago, it has again come to my attention that a person has left this subreddit because they felt the community was not welcoming to people with marginalized identities, and was, to use the language above, supporting rather than working to dismantle oppressive structures. In addition to the public post, I have received requests from other forum members to step in as a moderator.

I would like to have some more input from the community. This subreddit has grown a lot in a few years. We were far under 2,000 subscribers the last time we had this discussion.

As a reminder, if you are reporting comments on any post, please message the moderators with some more information as to why you believe that comment should be deleted.

I have banned some people from this subreddit, a few for spam and one person for repeatedly posting anti-atheist rants. I have also issued warnings to posters for comments that were detrimental to a welcoming atmosphere.

Right now I have been getting requests for a stricter comment moderation policy. I would like to know more about what people would like to see - what rules do we need now that we don't have? What other communities on Reddit or other UU Websites have policies you would like us to enact? There are communities I have participated in where people are banned more easily but I hesitate to do so in this space because although I strongly disagree with many of the comments that are posted, I know that there are people in my own congregation with similar views. I wouldn't necessarily want them banned from my real life congregation so I don't know if I'd want to do that here. What are people's thoughts on that comparison?

We could enact a stricter policy, requiring people to read certain documents before subscribing or commenting. We could have rules against "sea lioning" or "JAQing off." However we need to keep in mind that many of the people coming here are brand new to Unitarian Universalism, and know nothing about it. I would like to keep the bar to entry and participation as low as possible to encourage people to join and get involved.

Some more questions for discussion: What's the goal of having rules for discussion? To encourage a better conversation? To uphold our principles? To attract a certain commenters and discourage others? To reduce the harm that internet comments can cause?

How should this be done?

I have been hearing about some congregations doing this and I'm interested in maybe asking to plan one. I love being a UU, but sometimes I miss having the quiet meditation of Mass where I could turn off my brain. With Lent starting I've been thinking about it more often.

I have been hearing about some congregations doing this and I'm interested in maybe asking to plan one. I love being a UU, but sometimes I miss having the quiet meditation of Mass where I could turn off my brain. With Lent starting I've been thinking about it more often.