One thing I notice is that on the point about incorporating the design of other flags, it uses the word may rather that must. So I don’t think it would have to resemble a US flag. It seems like any design would work.
They also list the specific groups that would qualify as first responders. So to be a legal first responder flag, it would have to represent one of those groups. A natural fit for this situation would be to find a nursing specialty which overlaps with LGBTQIA+ issues, such as the Nursing Certificate of Professional Achievement in Transgender Health Care. It would be reasonable to have a flag honoring the nurses in that specialty. Perhaps something like a rainbow flag with butterflies (since butterflies can change their gender). But this neighbor can’t just come up with a random flag and say it’s to honor them. To have more solid legal standing, it would need to be a flag agreed to by an organization which represents nurses in that specialty. Using such a flag would be a better way to fight the HOA rather than hanging a gay pride flag and trying to argue that it’s a first responder flag.
It amazes me the people who are willing to bring a fight right to their front door. Literally to where this person lives.
For what? The principle of the thing?
I mean you gotta stay there. You surely want you and your family to feel comfortable and safe.
This little Napoleon HOA guy is gonna win. If the person has buckets of cash they just wanna throw down the drain why not donate it to the organization the flag honors.
This ain’t gonna end well.
I’d like to know how it ends. I hope the OP keeps us informed.
I’m living proof that cognitive dissonance is real, which is to say that I completely agree with both @filmore and @BigT.
I guess the question I would ask is, “what does this act of rebellion accomplish that is worthwhile?” Obviously, it’s not going to change anyone’s mind about anything - the neighbor is just going to become more entrenched in his loathsome beliefs.
If there is the possibility of something good resulting, I applaud Moriarty’s friend, although I’d think twice before doing anything that might endanger my son, and this sounds like the sort of situation that could end up with someone getting shot.
But if this is just pissing in the wind, with no possible positive change, I don’t see how it makes sense. Pick a hill to die on where your behavior makes a difference.
Will someone with knowledge of Florida law chime in on the harrassment-to-prevent-selling-the-house issue? That seems like it’s FAR more important than any flag nonsense. Is that legal? I can see why a MAGA-idiot who gets his adrenaline from conflict would want to keep a Liberal next door, but I can’t see how interfering with the sale of a house would be legal.
To my mind, THAT is the thing to document the hell out of, and THAT is the issue to pay a lawyer to write to the HOA about.
Which would be a considerable improvement over the current situation, where her neighbors can already put up as many TRUMP, MAGA, and FUCK JOE BIDEN flags as they want, but nobody who dares disagree with them can do anything.
The (incredibly stupid) law is on this homeowner’s side. The problem is her neighbors who have complete disregard for the rule of law, even though the law was created by their own allies. Holding idiots to the standards of the idiotic laws they create is hopefully a first step to improving the law and/or improving the idiots’ relationship to the law.
Maybe it’s just me. I’m thinking poking the tiger may not end well if it gets loose.
Homeowner clearly has a history with this HOA.
If MAGA guy wants to gather his cronies they could all make grievances to the board about her. If he’s on the board she’s lost before she starts.
A kid in the neighborhoods Mom is gonna tell him stay away from that mess. Or I would. Again, why invite trouble if you have to live there?
I’ve never lived in a HOA neighborhood but my understanding is you go in knowing vague rules. And they can do a bait and switch and fit them to your perceived wrong doing. You know, for the betterment of the neighborhood.
Bullshit for we don’t like you. You’re not one of the cool kids. (I may be totally wrong on this, but I’ve heard horror stories).
It all smacks of highschool politics to me.
A kid in that neighborhood who’s LGBTQ may well be afraid to tell Mom that they are. But the information that somebody in that neighborhood thinks it’s OK may help them keep going until they find somebody they can tell; even if that’s not the OP’s friend.
But people do.
Often they lose, yes. But in the long run often they win. How do you think we got to the point at which this is even a topic of discussion – let alone to the point of legal gay marriage?
Regardless of the moral aspect of hanging a flag to support gay rights, there are typically restrictions about flying flags in an HOA, along with lots of other restrictions about signage allowed in yards. Typically, only official flags that represent a state or country are allowed. If the neighbor wants to show support for gay rights, there’s going to be many ways to do it which don’t go against the covenants. For instance, she could hang something else that’s not prohibited, like a rainbow windsock or have a rainbow yard decoration. But she should look through the covenants for her HOA to see what’s allowed. A rainbow flag isn’t the only option. She doesn’t have to try to overturn the HOA covenants about flags in order to show support for gay rights.
Just a thought, why is she flying a gayrights flag? Is she involved in a group? Does she work for or donate to one?
Wouldn’t it be less provocative to fly a flag about the democratic organization she’s actually involved in?
This one, however, is allowing right-wing non-official flags but objecting to others.
The excuse appears to be that state law allows flags honoring first responders. OP’s friend is offering to hang a flag honoring gay first responders; or at any rate a flag specifically honoring first responders, but doing so while showing rainbow colors. If the rules aren’t illegally specifically allowing some political expressions but not others, that ought to be OK.