Rainbow flag set on fire outside gay man’s home on election day
By Will Stroude
US police are investigating after a gay pride flag flying outside a gay man’s homewas set alight on the day of the presidential election.
Greg Ventura, from Rochester, New York, decided to hang a rainbow flag outside his home after coming out as gay to friends and family earlier this year, the Democrat and Chronicle reports.
However, after returning to the homde he shares with a roommate shortly after after 5pm on Tuesday (November 8), he was shocked to find the flag’s charred remains on his porch.
“It doesn’t feel good that I have this newfound confidence ripped away from me,” he said, adding that another rainbow flag flying in the neighbourhood was was also vandalised on Wednesday evening.
“I was surprised that this happened, especially in Rochester.”
Police are currently investigating both incidents, which came as one of the most heated and divisive Presidential elections in modern US history reached its climax.
“Both incidents are currently being investigated as arson investigations,” Rochester police said in a statement. “No suspects are currently in custody. We are currently working in conjunction with the Gay Alliance regarding these two incidents.”
Ventura told WXXI News that friends and family had offered “overwhelming support” following the incident, which authorities told him could have been much worse.
“The firemen pointed out how quickly my vinyl siding could have gone up in flames and the house could have caught fire much easily than I even knew,” he said.
“I’m very hesitant to put a new flag out, for my safety.”
Meanwhile, a gay man in California has claimed that he was attacked by a group of Trump supporters in California on the night of the election, leaving him with hoffiric injuries – click here to find out more.
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