When a Natick, Massachusetts, couple returned from vacation last week, something personal was missing from their house.
It wasn’t a TV, nor was it jewelry.
Cari and Lauri Ryding had put up a rainbow pride flag after the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. The flag was gone when they got home from their holiday.
“We were reeling that someone took the flag,” Cari said. “What were people thinking about us?”
The next day, they noticed their house had also been egged.
“Are people hating you, what you stand for? That’s what creates more anxiety than anything else,” Lauri said.
Soon after, neighbors began to take action. More than two dozen homes put out rainbow flags.
“The ages of 5-16 were all out on their bikes delivering flags,” one neighbor told CNN affiliate WCVB.
“I filled up with tears driving down the street,” Cari said.
Natick Police did not return CNN’s request for comment, but told Cari and Lauri they are investigating the incident.
“The biggest story here is not about the flag, it’s not about us,” Lauri said. “Love conquers hate — that’s the bottom line.”
