An Appleton man is in custody after he allegedly doused a Pride flag in front of the Outagamie County downtown campus in gasoline June 1, the first day of Pride Month.
According to the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, a 49-year-old man started tampering with the Pride flag on the flag pole outside the main entrance around 10 a.m. at 320 S. Walnut St. He took the Pride flag off the pole, laid it on the ground and started covering it in gasoline in the parking lot.
Deputies arrested the man before he set it on fire, the sheriff’s office said. He was booked into the Outagamie County Jail.
A new Pride flag was hung up after the incident.
“This act does not reflect who we are as a county,” said Thomas Nelson, Outagamie County executive in a statement. “We are proud to stand with our LGBTQ+ community today and every day. Attempts to spread fear or division will not succeed here. We have already raised a new Pride flag because Outagamie County remains committed to respect, inclusion, and belonging for all.”
An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident should call sergeant James Wall at 920-832-5498 or email him at james.wall@outagamie.gov.
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton man doused Pride flag in gasoline, deputies say
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Appleton Post-Crescent
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