Ross Burton
Memphis Police arrested 23-year-old Ross Burton early Wednesday morning after they observed Burton and another man — who fled the scene and remains at large — attempting to set fire to the rope that runs up the flag pole in front of the MGLCC, according a report in the Memphis Flyer.
Burton is being charged with aggravated assault and vandalism under $500.
This is the second act of vandalism against the MGLCC in two months, according to the Flyer story. In September, an MGLCC National Coming Out Day billboard at Poplar and High was destroyed. No word on whether the two crimes were related.
MGLCC director Will Batts said such attacks demonstrate the problem of intolerance toward the GLBT community.
"Public incidents such as this shed light on the larger issue of intolerance and hatred that our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens face every day," Batts said. "Once again, attempts to silence or frighten our community will not succeed, but will make us more determined to fight for equality. We appreciate the support of the community in this struggle."
