20 June 2023 , 07:14
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The police have confirmed that they are assessing a video of Laurence Fox trying and failing to burn Pride flags in his garden on Father's Day.
Actor-turned-failed mayoral candidate Fox, 45, posted the homophobic and transphobic video online on Sunday, sparking disgust and mocking in equal measure from social media users.
After being reported on Twitter, Fox went on to declare that he hoped that police would pay him a visit.
He posted his horrific act online where he described the flags as ‘child mutilation bunting’ before dousing them in lighter fluid and trying to set them alight.
Laurence shouted "goodbye" as he went along the row of flags - but they failed to burn.
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The controversial Reclaim Party leader, who is after Boris Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, captioned his video: "My friend brought me some child mutilation bunting. It got the treatment it deserved."
Laurence has been condemned for his stunt (Twitter)
He tried and failed to burn the flags (Twitter)It sparked outrage from social media users with one claiming to have reported Fox to the police for hate crime.
Yet Fox hit back saying: "I can't tell you how much I hope the police pay me a visit. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reporting me.
"I very much look forward to them explaining to me that I have committed a hate crime by burning an icon to child mutilation, but the doctors who chop off vulnerable healthy young girls breasts, and young boys penises haven’t."
He added: "I’m done negotiating with the mutilators. I am tolerant of pretty much everything, but child sacrifice is an absolute red line.
"You can call it gender affirming care, you can blackmail parents by saying “would you rather have a dead son or a living daughter?”
"You can write articles about what a madman I am, I don’t care, and neither does truth. Because it is just that. The truth."
He concluded: "People are fed up with having this rubbish rammed down their throats. If I believed in such arbitrary nonsense as “hate crimes” I’d report you for supporting the destruction of young life. "
The Pride flag is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities.
Its colours reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender.
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The original rainbow flag was designed by activist Gilbert Baker and made its debut at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Parade in 1978.
There have been a few updates since, with social justice advocate Amber Hikes conceptualising a new version to include black and brown stripes to represent people of colour in 2017. A year later, American graphic designer Daniel Quasar incorporated colours of the transgender flag (pink, blue, pink and white) into the design.
Most recently in 2021, Valentino Vecchietti created the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag, which saw the addition of a purple circle inside a yellow triangle.
The Metropolitan Police have told The Mirror: "Police are aware of a video posted on social media in relation to Pride flags being set alight.
"Officers are currently assessing the footage and enquiries are ongoing."
Other social media users condemned Laurence's actions as one said: "Wow scared of a flag."
"Just casually discussing hate crimes. It's a shame you didn't burn down your garden," added another.
Someone else quipped: "You know, most people just see their kids on Fathers Day."
It's not the first time Fox has caused outrage online as he received a temporary ban from Twitter last year for having a profile picture of a swastika made out of four LGBTQ+ pride flags.