Ohio man faces charges after urinating on LGBTQ+ Pride flag in porch while shouting ‘f**k the gays’
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An Ohio student is facing charges after he was allegedly caught on camera urinating on an LGBTQ+ Pride flag outside a home.
Columbus City attorney Zach Klein said Trey Samuel Fetzer, 20, has been charged with ethnic intimidation, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct.
“Vandalizing property and making homophobic remarks [to] intimidate members of the LGBTQ+ community will not be tolerated in our city,” Klein was quoted as saying by The Columbus Dispatch.
“Columbus is diverse and tolerant, and we celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. Hate has no home here, and as long as I’m city attorney, we will continue to aggressively prosecute hate and bias crimes.”
Possible penalties for the misdemeanor charges include a fine, a prison sentence, or probation, WCMH reported.
According to court documents, Fetzer was allegedly caught on surveillance footage walking onto the porch of a home in the Weiland Park neighborhood, near the Ohio State University campus, where he is a student, on the evening of 8 February, before exposing himself and urinating on the LGBTQ+ Pride flag.
He is then said to have banged on the house’s door and shouted “f**k the gays” repeatedly while holding up his middle finger. A second man was reportedly recording Fetzer on a phone.
Columbus police launched an investigation into the incident after the home’s residents posted the surveillance video online. It’s believed that the man later went back to the house to apologize on 13 February.
Zoe, who lives at the home, told WBNS that she shared the video to set an example for her two children, who are both trans. “I’ve got a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, and we’ve had the gamut of school experiences… This isn’t something that they should expect as normalized in their life,” she said.
Another resident, Sarah, said she feared this “might just be the start of things and it could get worse.”
The incident has sparked outrage within the LGBTQ+ community and its allies in Columbus. Many have expressed their support for the residents of the home and condemned the actions of Fetzer.
Local LGBTQ+ organizations have also spoken out against the incident, calling for greater awareness and education to combat homophobia and discrimination in the community.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for The Ohio State University stated that they do not tolerate acts of hate or bias on campus and that they are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation.
As the case against Trey Samuel Fetzer moves forward, many are hopeful that justice will be served and that incidents of hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Columbus or any other community.
It is crucial for all members of society to stand up against hate and bigotry and to create a more inclusive and accepting environment for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Only through unity and understanding can we truly combat discrimination and create a more equitable society for all.
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LGBTQ+ Pride flag
