The two gay teens and their families from Sandy Utah who were attacked over the summer have been continually harassed by members of a a breakaway Mormon cult called the Kingston Clan.
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the Kingstons — also known as The Order, the Davis County Cooperative Society, and the Latter-Day Church of Christ — as a violent, racist, homophobic hate group. In a report, the SPLC say the Kingstons “command an estimated 6,000 adherents, boast a business empire reportedly worth as much as $1 billion and have outlasted myriad bouts with law enforcement and the press.”
On July 30, teenagers Christian Peacock and Jacob Metcalf, were hugging outside Peacock’s Sandy home when a car drove by and the occupants yelled homophobic slurs at them, according to police. The car returned about 45 minutes later, when several occupants got out and yelled, “We don’t like f—–s” at the gay couple.
🚨🚨 Sandy, UT – A gay young man was hugging his boyfriend in front of his home. The young men in this Infiniti stopped and the one person punched the kid in the face while calling him a “fa**ot.” We need to identify this assailant. Contact Sandy, UT police. ⚠️Language⚠️ pic.twitter.com/801SYBoBUt
— Rainbow Youth Project USA (@RainbowYouthUSA) July 30, 2022
The assailant was eventually identified and arrested and charged in juvenile court with assault, a third-degree felony, and initiating a riot, a second-degree felony. According to the Salt Lake Tribune,he later pled guilty and confirmed the identities of the other people in the car as a condition of his plea. He’s due to be sentenced in court on Oct 5.
According to Medium:
Two weeks after the assault, 12 hours after the 17-year-old was booked into juvenile detention, the Peacock’s security cameras recorded someone pulling down and scattering Pride flags a community group had put up to show support. One of the flagpoles was broken. A witness identified genitals-groping Hayden Stowell as the person in the security-camera footage, and he was arrested and charged. Stowell’s lawyer later presented evidence he was not in Sandy the night of the vandalism, and charges were dismissed.
Social media threats intensified, and Stefanie started having anxiety attacks. She told me and The Rainbow Youth Project USA on separate occasions, in tears, that she feared for her family’s safety, especially Christian’s.
The family later learned several Kingston members live on their street and suspect local police may be afraid of them.
Christian and Jacob have reevaluated how open they should be about their relationship
They’ve decided they should no longer hug or show affection in public. Christian says he and his boyfriend just want to keep their heads down. Here’s a statement in his own words explaining why:
I’ve been sleeping over at Jacob’s house several times a week since it happened because we both feel more safe there. My family, my boyfriend, and I have been caused major stress over all this. My parents went and bought a major security system and all these massive lights. Every time I drive up, I remember what happened because of those bright lights and cameras that turn on and talk to me as I walk to my door.
I’m really hoping I can just stop thinking about it all and concentrate on school and my relationship with my boyfriend.
Christian’s mom is asking for support at the courthouse on Wednesday
Stephanie Peacock is frustrated and fearful. She’s worried about the Kingston cult and about the Sandy Police Department’s evident lack of will to go after them. She’s been using social media (as below) to ask her neighbors to rally outside the courtroom on Wednesday in a show of solidarity.
