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Gay Couple Fined For Flying Small Pride Flag Under Mailbox

Gay Couple Fined For Flying Small Pride Flag Under Mailbox

Bob Plominski and Mike Ferarri hung the flag from their mailbox

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

A gay couple in Florida have had a fine issued to them after flying a Pride flag on their letterbox.

Bob Plominski and Mike Ferarri hung the flag outside their home in the city of Oakland Park on 1 June, wanting to honour Pride Month.

But the couple's rainbow flag drew the wrong kind of attention when locals told them to remove it by 15 June, or they could have a $50 (£36) daily fine.

The Eastland Cove Homeowners Association (HOA) sent a citation to the couple, who are now refusing to remove the flag.

NBC6

Speaking to NBC6, Plominski said: "I got upset. We've done this before and it's a simple showing of our pride to the community and it's up for 30 days.

"We were in shock they were going to do that."

The couple say they have flown other flags in the past, including political ones, saying they've never received a complaint before, but now they feel it's unfair to single them out for the Pride flag.

Ferarri said: "I really think the citation is because it's a gay pride flag and someone in the neighbourhood is offended, simple as that."

But, according to the news outlet, a member of the HOA board said it isn't discrimination. They say they're just following the rules, which state that only American flags or those related to the military are permitted to be on display in the neighbourhood.

The couple aren't giving in though.

Plominski said: "It's going to stay up until June 30th.

"We as a community worked really hard to earn and get to where we are today. We're not going to back down on this one."

The couple are now able to take the case to a grievance committee and appeal the fine. It would probably be heard in July if they went ahead.

Meanwhile, another couple overcame the rules stating they couldn't fly a Pride flag by using floodlights to cover their Wisconsin home in rainbow-coloured lights.

Memo Fachino and Lance Meir were told by their HOA that they would have to remove the rainbow flag outside their home when new rules banning all flags other than the American one were introduced.

Reddit

In a post on Reddit, Fachino explained: "Due to some neighbours flying BLM flags, thin blue line flags, and other opinion flags, our HOA decided last month that we're only allowed to fly the USA flag, and nothing else.

"The day after the decision, we received an email that someone reported our Pride flag (that we had on our house since 2016), and that we needed to take it down.

"We complied and removed the flag. Looking through our new rules, we noticed that removable lights are permitted without restriction so... we bought six coloured flood lights, and we washed our house in pride colours. A little less subtle than our simple flag.

"A lot more fun for anyone complaining about the flag itself and what it represents."

Featured Image Credit: NBC6

Topics: viral news, Pride, US News