A 23-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly burning down a rainbow flag on fire in Omaha, Nebraska.
Cameron Mayfield, 23, stole a rainbow flag from his neighbors, set it on fire, and ran through the neighborhood, according to police.
It comes as Nebraska has lifted the ban on same-sex couples from becoming foster parents last week.
Ariann Anderson and Jess Meadows-Anderson, a married couple who live next door, said it went ‘beyond vandalism or a threat’ as it was a ‘direct attack’.
‘It’s just a reminder that hate is still out there,’ they said.
The two women woke up just after midnight on Sunday morning (1 March), believing their home was being burglarized.
When Meadows-Anderson rushed downstairs to check on their two girls, her wife saw a van drive off.
When they woke up again, they went to a window to see a man running down the street with what looked like a burning stick.
They then both realised he was burning their rainbow flag.
‘You almost feel bad for a minute,’ Meadows-Anderson told WOWT. ‘He’s a young man and he made a hate-filled, drunken mistake that will have a lasting effect on his life and his family.’
Later that day, a new, bigger, brighter Pride flag was flying on their front porch.
Mayfield is facing a 2nd degree felony arson charge and a separate charge for resisting arrest.