Florida Couple Fined for Displaying Gay Pride Flag in Front Yard – Complex

A Florida couple was fined by a homeowner’s association for displaying a small gay pride flag in the front yard of their home.

NBC Miami reports Bob Plominski and Mike Ferrari of Oakland Park, Florida, received a citation from the The Eastland Cove Homeowners’ Association, ordering them to remove the flag by June 15 or face a fine of $50 per day. 

The couple claims they’d hung the pride flag before and posted political signs with no problems. 

“I got upset. We’ve done this before and it’s a simple showing of our pride to the community and it’s up for 30 days,” Plominski told NBC Miami. “We were in shock they were going to do that.”

Bob Brusseau, the president of Eastland Cove HOA, told NBC News that the association received a complaint about the flag. The person who made the complaint said there is a rule in place that bars neighborhood residents from displaying anything except U.S. or military flags.

Ferrari, however, disagrees: “I really think the citation is because it’s a gay pride flag and someone in the neighborhood is offended, simple as that,” he told NBC Miami. 

Plominski and Ferrari have a right to appeal the association’s decision before a grievance committee. Regardless, the couple said they will continue to fly their pride flag until the end of the month.

“It’s going to stay up until June 30th,” Plominski said. “We as a community worked really hard to earn and get to where we are today. We’re not going to back down on this one.”