'No Sides, Only Love' banner slashed in Orem

In the wake of multiple suicides at their neighboring high school, Orem parents Brenda and Thomas hung two banners on their fence to show support for their LGBTQ+ child, community, and friends. One banner was from Encircle, which read “No Sides, Only Love.” The other is a suicide prevention banner from the Trevor Project, reading “You Are Never Alone.”

The banner reading “No Sides, Only Love” was slashed by someone on Thursday, January 23, partially removing it from the fence but making it no longer usable.

While the perpetrator was caught on a security camera, it was too far to be of much good to authorities. But what is more important to Brenda is how this person got to the point of doing such a thing, saying she feels sorry for them.

“I wonder how often he has not felt accepted himself to be able to hate other people he doesn’t know,” Brenda told KUTV News.

The couple also made headlines last summer when five of their rainbow Pride Flags were stolen from their yard near Timpanogos High School.

The parents then decided to do something positive about the most recent incident. They started a campaign to put the message of the destroyed banner on billboards throughout Utah.

Their goal is to raise $15,000 so Encircle can put up as many billboards as they can across the state of Utah with the same message — No sides, only Love.

The campaign has raised over $11,000 by 180 donors at nosidesbanner.funraise.org.