Homeowner fights HOA flag policy to fly pride flag

By Brittni Thomason

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    GILBERT, Arizona (KPHO) — When you come to Cher McCoy’s Gilbert home, she wants you to feel welcome and accepted from the moment you step onto her driveway. It’s why she flies a pride flag outside her home. “It’s not for a political reason,” said McCoy. “It’s simply a show of love during the month of pride.”

McCoy said her HOA sent her two violation notices stating she can’t have the flag up. The homeowner’s association said it recently changed its policy on flags and now only allows ones protected by state law. “It absolutely invades our rights,” said McCoy. “A neighbor just came over and said, ‘I feel like our rights are being taken over and taken away little by little.'”

The Val Vista Lakes Community Association sent Arizona’s Family a letter that went out to community members, saying its policy on flags changed months ago when neighbors complained about a Confederate flag in the community. The board said an attorney advised it only to allow flags protected by state law. These include the American flag, the state flag, the Gadsden flag, the Indian Nations flag and the POW/MIA flag.

“One flag in a community of 2,300 homes, so you’re going to take away everyone’s right to do that?” said McCoy. “It doesn’t make sense.”

The board’s letter said the rule is not meant to punish anyone, and “The flag rules apply to everyone equally, and they are in effect 12 months of the year.” It says, “The rules were put in place to protect the Association from potential litigation.”

McCoy said she plans to keep her flag up, even if she has to fight her HOA on it. “It’s life and it’s love, and I’m not ready to give that up for them,” said McCoy.

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