The Noah's Ark theme park in Kentucky wants to bathe itself in rainbow lights each night

A Kentucky-based amusement park wants to take back rainbows from gay people

Published July 20, 2017 1:35PM (EDT)

Replica of Noah's Ark at the Ark Encounter theme park   (AP/John Minchillo)
Replica of Noah's Ark at the Ark Encounter theme park (AP/John Minchillo)

A Christian amusement park in Kentucky is announcing that it will be bathed in a rainbow of light each night.

Ark Encounter, which says it's dedicated to "understand[ing] the reality of the events that are recorded in the book of Genesis, will be lit with rainbow colors each night in an attempt to "take back the rainbow" from gay people, according to the attraction's founder, Ken Ham.

 

Ark Encounter hosts the "most authentic full-size replica of Noah’s Ark in the world," according to its website. And it shouldn't be a surprise that Ham wants to showcase the flag that symbolizes LGBTQ pride — conservatives view the rainbow flag as more offensive than the Confederate one.

Ham has said thinks the LGBTQ community has had too many privileges — like having wedding cakes made for their weddings. By taking the rainbow back, conservative Christians would be free to wear tie-dyed shirts, raise rainbow flags out their windows and protest gay pride parades in colorful outfits.

Unsurprisingly, the announcement on Twitter led to some LGBT allies and gays celebrating Noah's ride into the 21st century.

In addition to his disagreement with much of the world when it comes to equal rights for gays and lesbians, Ham is also in disagreement with the government when it comes to how much he should be paying in taxes. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, a city attorney sent a letter to Ham, "rejecting the request to be exempted from a new safety tax because it's a religious organization."

City officials are looking into the details of how the park, a for-profit company, sold a parcel of land valued at $48 million for $10 to its nonprofit affiliate, Crosswater Canyon.


By Michael Glassman

Michael Glassman is on Salon’s Breaking News team. You can find him on Twitter at @warnkemg

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