BreakOUT News
The Little Flag that Could
August 16, 2006
Here’s the story: J.R. and Robin Knight own the Lakeway Hotel in Meade, Kansas. Their 12-year-old son spent a week this summer visiting his grandparents in California. While there, he came across a Rainbow flag -- which reminded him of both his Kansas home and its “Wizard of Oz” heritage.
So he took the flag home to his delighted (straight) parents, who promptly ran it up the flag pole outside the hotel. That’s where the trouble started.
The local paper, without contacting the Knights, ran a picture of the flag and a link to a website which told the unsuspecting town exactly what the significance of a rainbow flag means.
J.R. and Robin were astonished to learn that gays everywhere looked to the flag with some degree of pride and a lesser degree of “a rainbow…really?” Nevertheless, they continued to fly the flag.
Then the boycotts began. A local pastor told them it was obscene. The local radio station threatened to pull their advertising. Community groups that once met in the hotel’s restaurant stopped coming in. The flag was stolen.
And a brick with the word “fag” on it was thrown through the hotel’s plate glass window.
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Dennis Hensley
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A weekly tally of the things that keep him from getting stuff done.
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Comments
Tiffany Lee wrote:
Thank you for your support, from the bottom of my heart. If only more people were loving and supportive - especially families of gay and lesbian children. This is what America is about -Live Free or Die.
Thankyou!
posted at August 17, 2006 02:03 PM
Rick Greene wrote:
Small town, small minds!!
posted at August 18, 2006 10:34 AM
Thinking Buff wrote:
Proof once again that change comes slowly, and in levels or layers. "Gay Pride" etc. now standard in parts of like San Francisco, N.Y.C. Now relaxed on university campuses. But in "normal" real-town America, still alarming. (For the horror story of earlier times, see Time mag. essay January 24 1966 "The Homosexual In America."
P.S.-----to all you liberal types scoffing at the bigots here: what would YOU have done say 30 years ago, eh? We all seem prisoners of the current norms, puppets dancing to the tune of today's mores. X years from now, the good citizens here will scoff at anti-gay stuff. Not because they think originally; because the Times (not Time...) says so... Well, onward...
posted at August 18, 2006 01:45 PM
chris jones wrote:
Thank you also for your suport as well. one person at a time we will hopefuly change the small minded people think you
posted at August 18, 2006 02:58 PM
Tom & Steve Armstrong wrote:
Interesting we are forced to see the abortion right to life signs every where & these freaks are afraid of a little colored flag? Grow up!
posted at August 19, 2006 12:25 PM
Andrew Anderson wrote:
Thank you for your support it really means alot when open minded people in a small town stand up for those who closed minded people would rather think we didn't exist.So once again I thank you whole heartedly for your support.
posted at August 19, 2006 12:44 PM
jeffrey perreira wrote:
Thank you for having a open mine. If I am ever in your part of the country I will look you up. jeff
posted at August 19, 2006 09:13 PM
peter mathews wrote:
hello i wanted to say that i am pround of what u r doing i am a gay 28 yo who just came out to my parents thay sed to me as long as you are happy we will be there for u and im pround of who i am and agian thanks for proundly showing the gay flag
posted at August 20, 2006 06:35 PM
Rev. Bryan Ritter wrote:
As a minister, I am ashamed of the hatred being spewed from my fellow clergy. God should not be blamed for His terrible self-appointed PR reps. Keep flying your flags and keep your heads held high.
posted at August 21, 2006 03:53 PM
Gary Miller wrote:
J.R. & Robin..You stand with the great American heros! Your courage and yes I'll say it pluck are what this country needs more of. God bless you both!
posted at August 23, 2006 03:13 PM
Neal Broderick wrote:
Veteran game show host Bob Barker is stepping down from hosting The Price is Right after 35 years.
posted at June 20, 2007 11:15 AM
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