Pride Flag Vandalism Leads to 2 Arrests in Bradley Beach

BRADLEY BEACH - In the early morning hours of June 16th, witnesses reported seeing Evan Frederick, 31, of Bradley Beach and Ann Healy, 48, of Avon, cutting down an LGBTQ Pride flag in Riley Park in Bradley Beach.

According to police, the pair then threw the flag in the trash outside a local bar.  Police were called, and the two were detained and questioned.  Initially, both Healy and Frederick denied their involvement. However, they both eventually admitted to this action and were placed under arrest.  For this incident, Healy and Frederick were each charged with one count of theft, bias intimidation and criminal mischief.

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On June 17th, Healy and Frederick were summoned back to Police Headquarters and questioned about 2 other similar instances in which the Pride Flag on Ocean Avenue and another in Riley Park were stolen.  Frederick was also charged with the theft of these flags on the date of occurrence of June 5th, adding two more counts of theft and two more counts of bias intimidation to the charges of June 17th.  Both Healy and Frederick were released pending a court date.

Healy is listed as the owner of Jersey Shore Hot Yoga, located at 622 Main Street in Avon.  Posted to the Jersey Shore Hot Yoga Instagram account was a statement reading, "Grateful to all who came and filled this space on this beautiful day.  Despite what's being said about me I did not steal anything or tear anything down.  As ALWAYS everyone is welcome at JSHY.  Love Ann"  An email was sent for comment to Jersey Shore Hot Yoga and no response has been received.  In the event that a response is received, this article will be updated.

In a Facebook post from 2023, Bradley Beach Fire Department posted "Congratulations to our newest Firefighter Evan Frederick! Firefighter Frederick graduated last night from Monmouth County Fire Academy Firefighter 1 & 2 class.  We're proud of you Evan.  Welcome Aboard!!!" A request for comment was made to both Bradley Beach Borough Administrator and Bradley Beach Fire Chief.  In the event that a response is received, this article will be updated.

According to HRC , the origin and evolution of the Pride Flag began in 1978:

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The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ community.  After the assassination of Harvey Milk, the rainbow flag was in high demand. Due to manufacturing issues, the hot pink stripe was removed. The turquoise stripe was removed from the flag as a design choice by Baker. The six-color pride flag has represented the community for over 40 years and is still one of the most common LGBTQ+ flags.  The Philadelphia Pride Flag was unveiled at the city’s pride event in 2017. The Philadelphia City Council commissioned the creation of this flag as they wanted to incorporate queer communities of color that have often been overlooked in the mainstream LGBTQ+ movement. The addition of the black and brown stripes symbolize communities of color and their contribution to the movement.  The Progress Pride Flag evolved from the Philadelphia Pride Flag and was created by Daniel Quaser. Quasar added a white, pink, and light blue stripe to represent the Trans community. While the black and brown stripes still represented communities of color, the black stripe is also a nod to the thousands of individuals that the community lost during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s. Since its creation, the flag has become very popular.

According to a Pew Research Survey , at least 7% of Americans identify as LGBTQ.  Roughly 2% of American adults identify as transgender and/or nonbinary, and while a relatively small share of U.S. adults are transgender or nonbinary, many Americans say they know someone who is . More than four-in-ten U.S. adults (44%) say they personally know someone who is trans, and 20% know someone who is nonbinary.

As for the need for visible LGBTQ representation such as Pride Flags, The Lancet states, "Visibility creates a crucial sense of individual belonging and security for LGBTQ+ people, and those who are able to be open about their sexuality and gender can serve as role models for the wider community. Visible or not, LGBTQ+ people frequently encounter societal or legal discrimination, particularly in countries that retain colonial-era legislation."

According to HRC , in 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its annual crime report showing that "anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes were up sharply from the prior year, with a 13.8% increase in reports based on sexual orientation and a shocking 32.9% jump in reported hate crimes based on gender identity."

In other similar incidences around the state of New Jersey, Pride Flags were ripped down from flag poles and light posts in towns such as Montclair and Evesham .

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