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For the crime of reckless use of explosives or fire, 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez received one year in prison. A man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for burning an LGBTQ flag that was flying at a church in central Iowa, reports the Associated Press. Our community is here to stay, loud and proud. An incredible story out of Iowa, where an Ames man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for burning an LGBTQ rainbow flag. One Iowa man now finds himself at the center of that controversial question. “This one cruel act does not overshadow the thousands of allies across our state who are joyfully flying our colors this month,” he said. He said the act of vandalism is “a fearful attempt to intimidate our community back into the closet.” Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah said in a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune that the organization is grateful to the legislature for passing an LGBTQ inclusive hate crime law in 2019. The state’s hate crime law had previously been criticized for being too weak.
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Then Martinez doused the flag in lighter fluid and burnt it outside of a strip club called Dangerous Curves Gentlemen’s Club. Adolfo Martinez, 30 stole the LGBTIQ flag from the Ames United Church of Christ in Iowa back in June. If the Kaysville theft is determined to be a hate crime, it could be prosecuted under the state’s newly strengthened hate crime law, which was beefed up by a bill in 2019. An Iowa man will spend 16 years behind bars after stealing a local church’s LGBTIQ flag and setting it alight.
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No, Adolfo Martinez did not actually hurt or assault anybody in the process. There was one report of an assault against a gay man. An Iowa man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for stealing and burning a church's rainbow LGBT pride flag. Most of these crimes were instances of larceny, vandalism or intimidation. The state reported a total of eight hate crimes against LGBTQ people in 2019, the most recent year for which data has been released. Adolfo Martinez from Iowa was convicted in Ames last month. bJE05QV3co- Kaysville Police June 3, 2021 (Story County Iowa) A man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for setting fire to a church LGBTQ flag, after a jury found him guilty on several charges. A man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for setting fire to a church LGBTQ flag, after a jury found him guilty on several charges.