Just when you thought you never needed to see another Pride flag story again, Mashable comes flying out at you with a heart-melty true tale of a neighborhood that came together to fight the forces of mawkish stupidity.
It all began when a certain Susan Pearlman of Ann Arbor, Michigan trotted home to find a creepy anonymous note claiming her gay pride flag “deeply troubled” one of her neighbors.
But Pearlman’s daughter is a lesbian, and she really didn’t wish to take down her rainbow flag simply to appease some passive-aggressive gas-bag with a penchant for purple prose and frilly stationary.
Instead, perhaps inspired by the surplus of viral stories such as these, she reached out to her neighbors.
Like a particularly stirring episode of Highway to Heaven, those neighbors responded by putting up 20 pride flags outside of their own places of residence.
Pearlman tells Mashable that her community has a “history of being LGBT friendly,” and that everyone was disturbed at the letter.
“I wanted to explain to you that the flag deeply troubled me in hopes you might understand why,” it reads.
I was troubled by the rainbow flag because it overlooks so many of the things our country represents. The flag is missing the white stripes that represent purity and innocence.”
Later on in the letter, the neighbor requests Pearlman not take down the Pride flag, but instead put the American flag beside it, so they can both hang on the front porch like best girlfriends.
Pearlman told Mashable she put up the flag to express support for the LGBTQ community after the Pulse massacre in Orlando, Florida.
“I opened the letter the evening of November 9th after returning home and immediately showed a few of my neighbors,” she says.
One neighbor “read the letter and asked where she could find a flag … a couple others agreed with her.
Then in response to an email I then sent to the rest of my street the flag ‘wall’ grew! As of today there are 20 flags flying and more are to come.”
Pearlman originally shared her story on Pantsuit Nation, and her post has received over 32,000 likes.
According to a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, there have been a total of 867 hate incidents post-election.
95 of those were directed at LGBT people.
1EqualityUSA
Flaggots! Naw. These stories are fun. The GOP is on the wrong side of history. Regular, everyday people are changing their minds about oppressing us. Jason Chaffitz will curl his bunny-lip and cry.
nstig8or
This neighbor is guilty of being nosey. Guilty of being presumptuous. Guilty of being a tad overly precious towards the American flag. But she didn’t say anything homophobic, bigoted or disparaging towards homosexuals. And she didn’t even ask that the flag be removed. This note should have been tossed in the trash and ignored. But instead it’s newsworthy somehow? A person should be able to fly whatever flag they want on their own house. Or burn any flag they want for that matter. It’s great that the other neighbors wanted to help support the mother, but don’t force this into being a homophobia story, when there’s no evidence of it. There are so many more worthy fights out there right now. This is a story about one person suggesting that another person fly the American flag, which is overbearing and manipulative. But it shouldn’t be on par with articles where swastikas are being spray-painted on buildings or ones where gay people are actually being oppressed.
captainburrito
They just requested the actual flag being flown side by side so it isn’t that bad. They could be a purist.
Liam
Sentiments being what theyare in the usa today, it encoursging that her neighbours rallied in support of Pearlaman and her daughter. The event, as evidenced by the note itself, is not one of homophobia.
Heywood Jablowme
Ah yes, the usual American flag-worshipper’s warped idea of “history,” and the colors don’t “represent” what the letter writer thinks. The Dutch have been using red white & blue flags since the 9th century, and the Russians under Peter the Great were using it long before we did.
Juanjo
@captainburrito: and just why should they think that they have the right to ask that? Just how is that appropriate? If one puts up one of those cute Halloween or Thanksgiving banners or like one of my neighbors, during footballs season has a flag from his favorite team up in front of his house, are all those people required to also fly the US flag?
There is no connection logically, morally, ethically or legally which ties the two acts together. There is nothing about flying a 49’ers flag or a Gay Pride flag which requires one also fly the US banner. The entire letter reeks of passive aggressive attitudes from a writer who has a serious bug up that arse about gay people asserting their rights.
Juanjo
@Liam: lovely opinion. no facts.
John
I agree with the other commentators. The tone of this post is unfair to the anonymous person who wrote the note. They didn’t ask for the pride flag to be taken down; they asked for a traditional American flag to be put up beside it. The note does not appear to be explicitly homophobic; it seems like the writer is at least trying to be respectful. Without knowing more, I don’t think we should leap to the conclusion that she had bad intentions. It could just as easily be the case that there’s some reason that the American flag is particularly important to the person who wrote the note (a son or daughter overseas in the military, for example). I think we can all agree that it was a bit clumsy and ill-advised for this person to write an anonymous note. She should have just talked to her neighbor so they could understand each other. But this “story” should not be on this blog. We shouldn’t go around bashing (or exposing to public scrutiny) ordinary people who were just a little clumsy in how they handled some minor thing with their neighbors. Queerty is being way too sensitive/politically correct here.
pierscik
Would the complainant have “concerns” if ANY flag was flown without The Stars And Stripes also being flown as well. However my own concern is with the fact that it was an anonymous note. If the neighbour believes that they’re morally and ethically right to ask that the American Flag be flown then why not stand behind their beliefs with at least their name ? To hide behind anonymity prevents any private response or discussion. Nice support from other neighbours though.
charles_bolter
@1EqualityUSA: So I guess the Supreme Court has/had it all wrong when it ruled on gay marriage? lol. You just keep going. As I’m sure you’ll find a way to justify to us why the Supreme Court, esp. in the USA is wrong here
scooterdie
Why not just ring the bell, say “hi” and explain yourself? I can (sort of) see the note writers point of tampering with the American flag (you all are fuss pots where that’s concerned). That being said, writing anonymous notes (no matter how polite) is creepy.
1EqualityUSA
charles_bolter (?)
ErikO
LOL pantsuit nation, seriously who cares? The woman should have just ignore the note and not made a huge deal out of it and put it on the silly internet group or gone to the LGBT media with it, as that’s what the person who wrote the note wanted to have happen.