from NAZtoday.
In Arizona, Steven and Zeniff Vanderran say homophobia and ongoing disputes with their homeowners association are behind an order to remove a gay pride flag from their Queen Creek home. He is referring to a prohibition by the Cambria Ocotillo HOA against displaying the flag the couple began flying in 2003 when a previous management company gave the okay.But the new management group, Cambria Ocotillo, has design guidelines that only allow certain flags, including decorations for certain holidays.
Sounds simple enough. The gay pride flag is not allowed. I mean, all HOAs are dictatorships; they have their rules to follow and, well, i say, if you don't like the rule, see if you can change it. if you can't, then build a big gay bridge and get over it.
But...and there's always a but. The flag was OK'd by a former HOA management company, and was flown for nearly five years without incident. See, the old guard said yes, and the new guard says no. That doesn't sound nice, does it?
Apparently, this new management company has certain rules for flags and decorations that are HOA approved. You can put up "holiday" flags only on recognized national holidays. New Year’s Day. Martin Luther King Day. Easter. Memorial Day. Fourth of July. You get the gist.
The HOA says that since Gay Pride is not a national holiday you can't fly the flag. But, um, Easter isn't a nationally recognized holiday either, yet the HOA permits bunnies and eggs and baskets and such.....how gay is that?
Now, the HOA does say that the boys can display their pretty rainbow flag "as a background for a holiday flag, as long as the holiday insignia is larger than the exposed portion of the rainbow flag.”
What's your take on this?
Homophobia?
Or much ado about nothing?
On the surface, it would seem to be not a big deal, and everyone hates HOA's anyway. Ugh, I think I'd shrivel up and die if I had to be subjected to that sort of petty scrutiny by those homegrown bureaucrats. However, the fact that Easter flags are allowed, although it is not a recognized national holiday, shoots the HOA argument out of the water. I would definitely press it and say "If I can't fly my rainbow flag, I don't want to see a fucking Easter bunny anywhere in my sight." (Maybe I'd leave out the F-bomb...but maybe not.) They are making illogical excuses for what is obviously a discriminatory rule. It's not a symbol of hate like a swastika...it's a symbol of pride and inclusiveness.
ReplyDeleteSupposedly my neighborhood has an HOA, but no one knows who that is or who they are. Things that aren't allowed happen all the time.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's homophobia, but I think it's a big freaking joke that they even CARE what type of flag is flown. Are football team flags allowed to be flown? If not, WHY? What the hell does it hurt? What about military flags? Like Special Forces, or Army, etc.
And I'll be perfectly honest, I had no idea that was a gay rights flag. I guess I'm behind the times. My first thought was "What a pretty flag!" LOL
an old couple, Shriners, repugs, and otherwise social climbers, bought condo, put in a small garden, a flagpole for the good ol' American flag, and a non regulation screen door. Their association went ballistic and they were forced out. They bought a 250K house instead- at 79 years old on a 30 year mortgage. Ain't that a hoot?
ReplyDeleteNot really "homophobia", but more like discrimination.
ReplyDelete