Gay Couple Ordered to Remove Pride Flag or Face Eviction

Kevin Kollman and Merle Malterer, a couple in Oak Creek, Wis., are being forced to choose between displaying their pride and having a roof over their heads.

The men told the NBC affiliate in Milwaukee that their landlord gave them a note on Wednesday saying they breached their lease by displaying the flag -- which includes the American stars with rainbow stripes -- and demanding they remove it. The men say they could be evicted over the flag.

"It's a symbol of America, it's a symbol of our pride in America being a gay couple here in Oak Creek," Kollmann told NBC.

When confronted by reporters, Kollman and Malterer's landlord said it was an issue of decoration, not discrimination. But a visit to the apartment complex revealed flags hanging in front of several other apartments.

"I've been here for three years, and I've had these flags up for at least two years and I've never had any issues with the flags," a neighbor of Kollman and Malterer told NBC.

The couple, who've lived at the complex for six years, intend to remove the flag so they don't have to find a new home, though they're considering legal action. Wisconsin does have a statewide ban on anti-LGB housing discrimination, according to the Human Rights Campaign.