REC Room reports vandalism of Pride flags

Homer police are investigating vandalism reported last week at the Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic and REC Room youth center on Ben Walters Lane.

On Monday, June 5, KBFPC staff returning to work after attending the Soldotna Pride celebrations found that the Pride flags hanging in front of the clinic and REC Room entrances had been vandalized over the weekend, CEO Claudia Haines told Homer News.

According to video surveillance footage from the clinic, the culprit or culprits returned multiple times to the KBFPC campus, first shredding both flags and later cutting down the flag in front of the clinic and damaging the flagpole, Haines said.

Homer Police Department Officer Kellen Stock confirmed Tuesday that the incident was reported to the authorities, but had no further updates as of press time.

KBFPC replaced both flags — which show support for the LGBTQIA+ community — immediately after the incident, according to a June 8 newsletter distributed by Haines, who emphasized that the clinic and REC Room were inclusive and respectful spaces available to all community members.

“The KBFPC and REC Room flags are a ‘light in the window’ and convey the vital message: you are welcome here,” Haines wrote in the newsletter. “Safe and accessible reproductive and sexual health care and education is critical for community wellness, inclusive of all gender and sexual identities.”

Both Haines and the Homer Police Department encourage community members to contact HPD if they have any updates or information to contribute regarding the incident. In addition to the ongoing investigation, HPD is maintaining patrols in the neighborhood around Ben Walters Lane.

“We’re continuing to pay attention to what’s happening around us,” Haines told Homer News in a June 10 interview. “It’s unnerving for our staff, in a small community, for something like this to happen.”

The incident comes after multiple other threatening incidents against the REC Room since the beginning of 2023 that have caused KBFPC to institute additional security measures to protect clients, participants and staff, according to the newsletter and a June 8 Facebook post by the REC Room.

The REC Room wrote that the incident is all the more hurtful considering the timing, near the beginning of Pride month.

“[KBFPC is] actually celebrating our 40th anniversary this year, so I think the vandalism of the flags is pretty noteworthy in that in 40 years we’ve seen very, very minimal issues like this,” Haines told Homer News. “We’ve been a very significant part of the community for a long time, so it’s unfortunate that this is now happening.”

In addition to sharing any relevant information with HPD, KBFPC encourages community members to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community at the upcoming Juneteenth x Homer Pride events, June 15-17.

“The result of this event is not just property damage, but reflects the ongoing discrimination and violence targeting the LGBTQIA+ community, and particularly trans youth, nationwide,” Haines wrote in the newsletter. “If you are an ally, showing up demonstrates support and respect for our loved ones, neighbors, and the entire vital LGBTQIA+ community.”

If you have information about the incident, contact the Homer Police Department at 907-235-3150.

For more information on this year’s Juneteenth and Home Pride celebrations, visit homerakpride.com/ or facebook.com/pride99603/.