APPLETON (NBC 26) — An Appleton homeowner is turning an act of hate into a moment of community support after finding their pride flag ripped down and thrown to the ground.
Watch Kyle Langellier's full broadcast story here:
Benji Roe and Alex Frantz discovered the vandalism when they returned home one night from Green Bay.
"Hate is not welcome in our community, this is a place of love, this is a place of hope. I don't want this to happen to anyone ever again," Roe said.
This isn't the only report of pride flags being vandalized in the Appleton area recently. However, according to nonprofit Citizen Action of Wisconsin, people rarely report these incidents to police.
Roe took a different approach by contacting both police and Citizen Action of Wisconsin to share their story. This decision transformed a hateful act into a demonstration of community solidarity, with neighbors and local officials speaking out against the vandalism.
Josh Lambrecht, an Appleton alderperson, emphasized the importance of reporting such incidents.
"Communicating to the proper authorities so we can document those pieces but also so we can come together as a community and say hey we see that things are happening," Lambrecht said.
Four Appleton alders are joining a flag-raising event at Roe's house on June 26, a date chosen to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.
Roe says the community response has helped them feel safer, and now they want to extend that feeling to others.
"I want every member of this community to know they are loved they are important and that they are always welcome in my home," Roe said.
