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<41;39 IT WAS AN HONOR TO DO THAT. IT'S A BLESSING FROM THE LORD. 41;42> That's what 30- year-old Adolfo Martinez said when we showed up to his house in Ames. We came to ask him about charges that he tore an L-G-B-T-Q pride banner down from the nearby Ames United Church of Christ early tuesday morning..and burned it. <41;29 IT IS A JUDGEMENT AND IT IS WRITTEN TO EXECUTE VENEGANCE ON THE HEATHEN AND PUNISHMENTS UPON THE PEOPLE.> The banner said "God is still speaking." By time staff noticed it missing -- police had already made an arrest. <02;40 WE BELIEVE GOD IS STILL SPEAKING TO US THROUGH THE BIBLE AND THROUGH EACH OTHER. THROUGH PRAYER THROUGH WORSHIP AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN AFFIRM ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN, INCLUDING GAY PEOPLE. 02;51> Senior minister Eileen Gebbie , is a gay woman. She says she's planned for something like this since the Charleston church shooting...and she's been the target of online harassment in the past. So it's not a surprise. <01;50 BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD. 01;51 IT'S NOT GOING TO SLOW US DOWN, WE WON'T CHANGE. 01;54> Police say the burning happened outside the Dangerous Curves gentleman's club... <15;43 OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A REGULAR PATRON OF THE BAR. 15;45> They say Martinez caused a disturbance and got kicked out. <14;40 HE CAME BACK AT SOME POINT AND TOLD THE PEOPLE IN THE BAR THAT HE WAS GONNA BURN THE PLACE TO THE GROUND AND AT THAT POINT HE MADE REFERENCE TO BURNING 'THEIR FLAG.' 14;47> Police told us Martinez didn't make his motive clear to them. But he laid it all out for us. <41;57 CHRIS: SO THIS WAS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY ? MARTINEZ: YES, YES YES, EXACTLY. APPARENTLY RIGHT? I BURNED DOWN THEIR PRIDE. 42;04 PLAIN AND SIMPLE. 42;06 CHRIS: SO NO REGRETS ABOUT THIS? MARTINEZ: NO, NONE WHATSOEVER. 42;09> <BUTTED> <45;15 CHRIS: SO DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO FIGHT THE CHARGES. 42;17 MARTINEZ:NO, I'M GUILTY AS CHARGED. 42;20> In the midst of pride month, Gebbie says all this shows there's more work to be done for L-G-B- T-Q rights. <04;39 THE RATES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST QUEER PEOPLE ARE ESCALATING, ESPECIALLY AGAINST TRANS WOMEN OF COLOR. WE ARE A TARGET AND SO WE NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR WITNESS TO THE HUMANITY OF ALL PEOPLE. 04;52> But she says she holds no animosity. <03;55 HE IS OUR NEIGHBOR AND I WOULD BE GLAD TO KNOW HIM AND WELCOME HIM HERE TO

Advertisement 'I'm guilty as charged': Man says he doesn't regret burning church LGBTQ banner at gentlemen's club Man charged with burning Ames church's LGBTQ pride banner admits to committing crime in interview with KCCI Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A man charged with burning an Ames church's LGBTQ pride banner outside of a nearby gentlemen's club told KCCI he has no regrets over what happened.Police said Adolfo Martinez, 30, got into a dispute at the Dangerous Curves Gentlemen's Club at 111 Fifth Street, was kicked out of the bar, and then came back early Tuesday morning."He told the people in the bar that he was going to burn the place to the ground and at that point he made reference to burning 'their flag,'" Ames police Cmdr. Jason Tuttle said.Tuttle said Martinez, a regular at the establishment, appeared to be referring to the pride banner hanging at the nearby Ames United Church of Christ. Police said Martinez stole the banner from the church and took it to a location just outside the club.Tuttle said just after 12:30 a.m., officers responded after Martinez lit the banner, along with a car tire, on fire outside the bar.The Rev. Eileen Gebbie, the church's senior minister, said police had already made the arrest by time she and church staff noticed the banner was missing that morning."It was comforting to think no one's coming back today to do more," Gebbie said.The banner featured a rainbow flag with the message, "God is still speaking."Gebbie, a gay woman, said it's a message of inclusion."Yes, there are parts of the Bible that say pretty direct things about gay sex," she said. "But we believe God is still speaking to us through the Bible and through each other, through prayer, through worship and because of that we've been able to get to a place where we can affirm all of God's children, including queer people."Gebbie said she has been preparing for an attack on her own church since nine black congregants were killed by a white supremacist at Emanuel Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. She said what happened Tuesday doesn't come as a surprise."Two years ago, we were bombarded online with some really nasty queerphobia and threats," Gebbie said. "This is been something, as a leader, I've been working on for quite some time. So, again, I'm not surprised, but it doesn't feel good."Gebbie said the crime won't "slow (the church) down.""We won't change," she said.Tuttle said Martinez didn't make his motive clear to officers. But Martinez, now out of jail, did make his motive clear when KCCI went to his house to ask him about the charges Wednesday."It's my honor. It is written. It is a judgment and it's written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments on the people," Martinez said. "It's my honor to do so. It was an honor to do that. It's a blessing from the Lord.""So this was about homosexuality?" KCCI reporter Chris Gothner asked."Yes, yes, yes. Exactly," Martinez replied. "I burned down their pride, plain and simple."Martinez said he had no regrets whatsoever and has no plans to fight the charges."No, I'm guilty as charged," he said.Gebbie said this incident shows there's still much more work to be done for LGBTQ rights."The rates of violence against queer people are escalating, especially against trans women of color," Gebbie said. "We are a target and so we need to double down on our witness to the humanity of all people."Gebbie said she hopes Martinez is able to get help."I don't hold any animosity to him or toward his family or to anyone," Gebbie said. "He is our neighbor, and I would be glad to know him and welcome him here to this space."Martinez faces charges of first-degree harassment, reckless use of fire, fifth-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. He could also face hate crime charges. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said her office is evaluating the case and reviewing police evidence to determine if the case meets the elements for a hate crime under Iowa law."This type of behavior is not going to be tolerated in our community," Tuttle said. "He's going to be held accountable for his actions."Gebbie said the church plans to hang a new pride banner by next week.RAW: Adolfo Martinez Full Interview