WASHINGTON — A D.C. homeowner says the Pride flag outside his home has been vandalized twice this month.
"This is about an attack on ideology. An attack on people I care about, that I have been an advocate and ally for decades of my life so it felt personal, targeted," Jason Ramsey told WUSA9 outside his Petworth home.
Ramsey says the first incident happened June 11, the Sunday of Capital Pride. Surveillance camera footage shows a person walking up to the flag and taking it. A second clip shows the flag on the ground burning and Ramsey's next door neighbor running out to put the fire out. That same neighbor contacted Ramsey about the incident and told him he had witnessed it all.
A week later Ramsey says his flag was taken again, but this time his cameras were not triggered.
The ally for the LGBTQ+ community has replaced both flags, that he says were intentionally bigger than in year's past. "I thought it was important to make sure that the statement was a little louder, and a little prouder than before," Ramsey said.
Although he is out some money and is upset that his property was vandalized, he says what is more concerning is that the attacks are continuing against a community that is already hurting.
"Trans rights are under attack, trans kids are being told they can't have gender-affirming care, where we are having all these legislations across the country slowly winnow away at the rights that have been gathered over the course of 50, 60 years," he added.
Dozens of similar incidents have been reported across the country during Pride month.
The flags at the Stonewall Monument National Park in New York City have been vandalized three times in June. New York Police released footage of the three men they say are responsible for the June 10 incident. No arrests have been made in any of the cases.
Ramsey says he stands by his support for the LGBTQ+ community and has conservative friends who he is able to debate with. As for the people behind the vandalism he says, "I don't hate you. I would like to understand where you're coming from."