Although its customary to display the American flag from sunrise to sunset, the flag can be displayed 24 hours a day as long as it is illuminated through the night, according to the Flag Code. Myth 8: The flag should never be flown at night. "I thought well if they're gonna burn one of them, I'll put up two, and if they burn these two, I'll put up three,” said Wilson. Once a flag is unfit for display, burning it is the preferred method of destruction. Wilson says for him, hiding wasn’t an option. "You're burning something that represents our ability to be open and out in the community without having to live in fear and that kind of thing makes it feel like we have to go back into hiding.” “A flag represents a lot for the gay community,” said Wilson. Wilson says it’s so offensive because the pride flag is very symbolic to the LGBTQ+ community. “I don't want to ruin someone's life over something like this, but I want them to be aware that that's not okay," said Wilson. Wilson says he just wants the people responsible to know why what they did was wrong. Lexington police are investigating the incident as a hate crime and looking for the people responsible. Also stealing a flag is not a hate crime that’s petty theft. Since he burned a flag owned by someone else it’s vandalism.
“It's kinda unbelievable that they were that brazen.” northny said: If the person had purchased and burned a rainbow flag that he owned it would be free speech. "You can see 'em walking up and that one's holding the phone while both of them are lighting it," said Wilson.
Looking at the video, Wilson was stunned.
“It's a pretty big shock because we're not used to that here ,” said Wilson. Kennedy, who was the deciding vote in both cases, described how the reaction decades ago was critical at first but. James Grant Wilson’s security camera video shows the pride flag once hoisted in front of his home being burned by two unidentified suspects early Monday morning on Laredo drive. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Wednesday likened controversy over the court’s decision to allow gay marriage to public reaction over the 1989 ruling that said burning an American flag was protected free speech. (LEX 18) - A gay man in Lexington is speaking out after being a victim of a hate crime.