Neighbor Removes Man’s Pride Flag, He Gets Even
Petty Win
When the bigoted neighbor succeeded in removing this man’s Pride flag from his very own garden, he most likely reveled in his selfish, demeaning triumph.
However, he was blissfully unaware that his neighbor would not let this go so quickly. He spent weeks preparing his revenge, and in the end, he got his retribution, and it went off without a hitch.
He Gets His Just Desserts
The New York Times
It’s unfortunate when the system and the authorities embrace intolerance. It’s even sadder when it utilizes this solidarity to humiliate and repress individuals who deviate from the accepted norm.
This is exactly what the man at the center of the story’s plot attempted to achieve. But, sadly for him and thankfully for others, things did not turn out as he had hoped.
Many Were Inspired
This incident was initially shared on Reddit by user memom17, who will be referred to as Jake for the sake of clarity, despite the fact that he prefers anonymity.
It has already been read, upvoted, commented on, and shared by millions of individuals. Many are ecstatic about Jake’s victory over his prejudiced neighbor.
He Was Not Ashamed
Youtube – Bretman The Baddest Rock Stories
Jake is a gay man who has always been proud of who he is. You’d think that in 2022, someone’s sexual orientation, or their willingness to discuss it, would no longer be a concern.
Sadly, this isn’t the case in many American communities. This incident was a good illustration of that.
Freedom Of Expression
Better Homes and Gardens
This is what transpired: it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence to see flags representing diverse political organizations and fluttering in the front lawns of Jake’s neighbors.
It is perfectly fine to do that. Each one of us has the right to express ourselves, and this is particularly true if it is within the confines of our own homes, right? But that can sometimes be tricky.
Many Different Flags
Chapelboro
Besides the typical national flags, several neighbors chose flags for various reasons to flutter in front of their homes: some people had flags supporting Black Lives Matter, while others had the “thin blue line” flags linked with the Blue Lives Matter movement in support of police officers.
Jake naturally picked the flag that best symbolized his beliefs: the LGBTQ+ flag. Years went by, and nobody had any issue with his choice, up until one day.
They All Disappeared
Brick 99
When Jake returned home from vacation one day, he saw that all of the area’s political flags had vanished. Why was that the case?
He didn’t think about it much. He suspected there was some tension between residents over the latest BLM protests, but he had no say in the matter. As a result, he simply carried on with his day. But, one of his neighbors gave him a nasty surprise later that week.
A Man On His Lawn
Apartment Therapy
One morning, he got out of bed and saw something unusual while drinking coffee. He spotted a strange man on his lawn! What was he doing?
He stepped outside, still wearing his pajamas and slippers, to see what was going on.
New Regulations
WKRC
His next-door neighbor was attempting to take down his Pride flag from the front lawn! But why was he acting in this manner? When Jake inquired about it, the man’s response was perplexing.
He claimed that the neighborhood HOA had prohibited all residents from exhibiting any flags in their front lawns other than the country’s flag. So he was now implementing the new regulations by taking down Jake’s flag. What was Jake’s reaction to that?
He Had A Problem
WEWS
He couldn’t do anything about it, his hands were tied. He could not just break the rules but there was something about the situation that did not sit right with him.
The man appeared to have a personal grievance against him and his choice of flag. Why would the man take matters into his own hands by removing his flag rather than simply informing him of the new rules? This infuriated Jake greatly. He would, however, find a solution.
What Was It?
Instinct Magazine
He didn’t seem to understand why he was being ordered to take down his flag. It was his own house at the end of the day. Nobody had any right to be upset by his openness about his sexual orientation.
It wasn’t like he was expressing a controversial political viewpoint; it was simply his identity. But he devised a strategy for continuing to express himself while adhering to the regulations.
Floodlights
“I bought 6 colored floodlights, and we washed our house in pride colors,” he narrates in the Reddit post in which he tells his story.
“A little less subtle than my simple flag. A lot more fun for anyone complaining about the flag itself and what it represents.” But what would Jake’s neighbors think of it?
What Did They Say?
LADbible
Even if they were bothered with it, there was nothing they could say: after all, Jake wasn’t breaking any rules. Aside from flags, the HOA hadn’t said anything about other types of outside decoration.
So Jake could just display the colorful lighting in his front yard to express himself and embellish the street view. But when he shared his story, there were mixed reactions to it.
Redditors’ Comments
iNews
“Imagine BUYING A HOUSE and yet you still can’t do what you want on your property… I could never live in a place that has an HOA. Never,” said one Reddit user. “Your HOA wasn’t in the wrong here. If no other flag except the USA flag was allowed then why would a pride flag be too?” said another one.
A more temperate user commented, “I don’t share your enthusiasm for ‘pride’ but will gladly put that aside and celebrate your amazing cleverness and pretty house! Well done.”
This Leaves A Lot Of Questions
USA Today
So while the flag banning from the HOA might be quite questionable, one cannot deny Jake’s solution’s wit and aesthetic qualities.
What do you think about the whole story? Are HOA regulations of this sort justified, or are they dumb? Do you think Jake’s neighbor had some personal animosity towards him and his flag or was he just making sure everyone followed the rules?
