Story at a glance
- A Wisconsin couple flooded their home with light after they were asked to remove their Pride flag.
- Memo Fachino and his husband, Lance Mier, in a creative loophole, designed a grouping of flood lights to project the rainbow colors onto their home.
- “We’re not trying to stick it to anyone,” Fachino told USA Today. “We don’t feel targeted or attacked in our community. It was just a fun way for us to show our individuality and support in a way that didn’t break any HOA rules.”
A Wisconsin couple flooded their home with light after they were asked to remove their Pride flag.
Memo Fachino and his husband, Lance Mier, in a creative loophole, designed a grouping of flood lights to project the rainbow colors onto their home, they shared in a post on Reddit.
“We’re not trying to stick it to anyone,” Fachino told USA Today. “We don’t feel targeted or attacked in our community. It was just a fun way for us to show our individuality and support in a way that didn’t break any HOA rules.”
Their community’s homeowners association rules permit only one flag, the U.S. flag, to be flown at any home. A neighbor reportedly alerted the association to the couple’s infraction.
“We complied and removed the flag. Looking through our new rules, we noticed that removable lights are permitted without restriction so… we bought 6 colored flood lights, and we washed our house in pride colors,” the couple wrote in the Reddit post.
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The association’s flag rule has stirred controversy in the neighborhood for years, according to the pair, so they decided to add their voice to the conversation. Fachino became “a bigger part of the conversation” by joining the local board.
“There are some other flags still flying around the neighborhood that have not come down mainly because nobody reported them,” Fachino told USA Today. “For whatever reason, one neighbor just happened to report mine. I don’t know the reason for it and didn’t go around reporting everyone else. We also didn’t try to make a huge statement [against the association].”
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Fachino told USA Today that the lights are on nightly from 7 to 10 p.m. and that the neighborhood, overall, has supported the display.
“The neighbors I’ve heard back from have been supportive,” Fachino said. “I didn’t share it on the neighborhood app or try to make a big point that everyone should know about it. I just thought it was a funny loophole, and it just kind of took off from there.”
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