Utah Family Says Pride Flag Stolen, Burned Then Thrown In Port-A-Potty

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dozens of neighbors and friends decorated a St. George family’s sidewalk with chalk art after they said a pride flag flying at their home was stepped on, stolen and thrown in a port-a-potty.

The family captured the upsetting images on home surveillance camera and said the actions were all targeted at the pride flag they had put out during Pride Week in southern Utah.

“I started getting people driving by and picking it up and throwing it,” said Shally Sorensen. “Then the last time, two boys walked by and actually stole it.”

After the flag was stolen on Saturday, Sorensen’s neighbor found it in a port-a-potty toilet and said the bottom of it had been set on fire.

“It had been burned and stuffed into the toilet in the port-a-potty. It shook us up pretty badly,” Sorensen said. “My heart sank and I got kind of shaky that someone would do that.”

Sorensen, a wife and mother of four kids, said she wanted to join in pride week in southern Utah and put her flag out a week ago.

“I wanted to fly the flag so that kids in our community know they are loved and wanted and needed,” she said. “I also wanted my kids to know that inclusivity is what we do.”

One video showed a man jump out of a van, pick up the flag and aggressively throw it to the ground.

Another video showed a red pickup stop at the house. A passenger from that vehicle grabbed the flag from the window and dragged it before dropping it.

A third video showed a younger boy walk up, pick the flag up and throw it to the ground.

In the final video, two young boys were seen walking by the flag. They then return, grab the flag and run off with it. The next place a neighbor found the flag was in the port-a-potty.

“Unbelieve that this would happen in our little town,” Sorensen said.

In an amazing show of support for the Sorensens’ situation, dozens of friends and neighbors showed up at the family’s house on Sunday to do chalk art on her driveway.

“It was a beautiful night of people coming together,” Sorensen said. “We had a lot of hugs and a lot of tears but they were tears of joy it was a beautiful night.”