A man wielding a knife cut off a pride flag hanging outside an Anaheim couple’s home early Saturday morning, making slurs in the process that were intended to disparage the LGBTQ+ community.
The operation, which targeted the home of Jack Nolan and his partner Jon, was designed to send a message of hate and intolerance. Neighbors sent back messages of support and tolerance.
“We will not tolerate hatred,” said Elia Renteria-Garcia, who has lived in the historic neighborhood known as “The Colony” for nearly seven years.
When Nolan, 35, noticed that the flag he had put up days earlier was no longer flying, he thought the wind might have blown it down. But when he examined the flag, he saw it looked like someone was trying to cut it off. He looked at the doorbell camera footage and saw something he had never experienced while living in California.
The video shows two dark figures walking along Water Street near his home on Dickel Street around 2 a.m., with one of the men walking directly toward the flag and pulling out a knife as he stepped onto his yard. The video shows him driving the knife through the center of the flag with enough force to tear the pole off the house.
The man, who was not identified, muttered a derogatory term for homosexuals as he walked away. Nolan said that although it was difficult to hear in the video, the man appeared to say “not in my neighborhood” as he continued down the street.
A pride flag hanging outside Jack Nolan’s home was cut and torn off with a knife.
(Courtesy of Jack Nolan)
Nolan said he was disappointed by the behavior but ignored it and quickly bought a new flag.
“We’re not going to let this get us down,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Anaheim Police Department confirmed that the agency received reports of the vandalism and is investigating. No suspects have been identified at this time.
The incident is one of the latest examples of vandalism targeting pride symbols across the country during a month celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Orange County in particular has had problems with the sign in recent years.
Last year, a majority of the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to ban the pride flag from flying on county property, calling it “divisive.” The vote follows a similar vote in Huntington Beach, reversing a previous policy of flying the rainbow flag during Pride Month. Last June, a teenage boy in Huntington Beach was arrested for allegedly tearing down a Pride flag.
In 2022, Laguna Beach residents were outraged after rainbow flags were stolen from stores during Pride Month.
A report released last year by the OC Human Relations Commission noted a 126% increase in anti-LGBTQ+ activity in 2022 compared to the previous year. Vandalism is the most common crime.
When Nolan moved to the historic district six years ago, he was told there was more to the neighborhood than just quaint Victorian and Craftsman homes. It’s a place for community, he said. Every Halloween, neighbors gather for pumpkin carvings, pancake breakfasts, Fourth of July potlucks and neighborhood cleanups. Recently, a neighbor became ill and residents took turns walking their dogs to help.
The day Nolan discovered the damaged flag, he posted the surveillance footage to a neighborhood Facebook group and wrote, “Well… it happened. Someone ripped our pride off the house last night around 2 p.m. Flags and poles. The lesson is here, keep the backup.
Renteria-Garcia, 45, saw Nolan’s post and immediately ordered 10 Pride flags and gave them to neighbors to hang in their homes to show support. Neighbors knocked on her door one by one, looking for the rainbow banner. She said Monday she has two left and plans to order more.
“We want people to know the intention behind it — that it’s not good,” she said of the vandalism. “We need to make sure that people who come here know this is not something we will tolerate.”
Nolan immediately purchased a replacement flag. “We’re not going to let this get us down,” he said.
(Courtesy of Jack Nolan)
By Monday afternoon, several homes along Dickel Street were flying banners, some of which read “Everyone is welcome.” A brand new rainbow flag fluttered in the afternoon breeze outside Nolan’s home.
This flag is more than just a celebration of who he is. He describes it as a symbol for everyone who might be struggling to show their identity.
“I remember not wanting to show how I felt,” he said. “Raising the flag is a way to let people know you can be who you are. You can show it.
“That won’t stop us,” he added.
