Beach-going residents in a tiny North Carolina town raise a huge ruckus over a gay pride flag flown by a lifeguard.
Carolina Beach, North Carolina is a small town by any standards. On the Tar Heel state’s southern border, it boasts about 5700 residents. This past weekend, many of the town’s beachgoers were frightened by a gay pride flag affixed to a lifeguard’s station.
“Pretty much immediately someone complained,” lifeguard Zach Hupp, who flew the flag, told WECT. He says they told “one of the other lifeguards that they thought because I was flying that flag that I would only rescue gay people.”
Seriously.
Hupp says he was only trying to make the beach more friendly and welcoming, where everyone could feel safe.
“I feel like with that flag, I would hope that everyone would feel welcome to come down to the beach, especially near Freeman Park which is filled with other flags that may turn some people away,” Hupp said.
Several residents, like this one, took to the town’s Facebook page to complain:
“I was on the North End today, with about 35 friends, when it was pointed out that Lifeguard Tower #37 was not only flying a yellow flag, but also a gay and lesbian flag. As a long-time resident, I understand the importance of the caution flags, utilized by the lifeguards, but any other flag I thought was prohibited. Being the Fourth of July, an American Flag would have been more appropriate. I didn’t know how to explain this one to the tourists who asked us about it. Some knew exactly what type of flag it was, others wondered if it had anything to do with the ocean conditions. I hope that you can reply with a reasonable explanation.”
That “reasonable explanation” came in the form of an apology from the town, and an official verbal warning for Hupp.
“It should not have happened and the issue has been addressed with that lifeguard,” the town replied. They’ve now changed their policy. Going forward, only town-approved flags, period.
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Image: Screenshot via WECT
Hat tip: Raw Story
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