Article Courtesy of NBC
Channel 6
By Amelia Ward
Published June 22, 2021
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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
daily fine.
The Eastland Cove Homeowners Association (HOA) sent a
citation to the couple, who are now refusing to remove the
flag.
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."
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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.
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"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.
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."
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