Sioux Falls man says he and his husband experienced hate speech for being gay

A Sioux Falls man says he and his husband were recently targeted with hate speech because of their sexual orientation.

Mitchell Olson, a 2002 "Survivor" contestant, social media influencer and entrepreneur said he and his husband received a plastic bag containing a rock and a homophobic letter on the evening of July 21.

"It was just so disheartening to receive something like that, especially in the comfort of your own home where you feel safest," Olson said.

Olson said when he left for work the next morning, he hadn't paid much attention to the bag in the front yard of their southwestern Sioux Falls home. It wasn't until he returned home that his husband said that another neighbor posted on a neighborhood Facebook group that they had received a similar package a few days earlier.

"I said, 'Mark, there is a bag sitting in our driveway.' It looked like it had some kind of a note in there and maybe even a rock," Olson said. "He went out there and he picked it up and brought it back inside. And sure enough, we got the same thing that this person had posted about getting."

The letter said that being gay was a choice and encouraged the men to renounce their "sinful ways."

Olson posted a photo of the letter to Facebook and within hours had received dozens of comments. Some even encouraged him to reach out to the police.

He filed a report with the police regarding harassment, Olson said. His neighbors have filed a report with the FBI filed under "hate speech that could escalate."

The Sioux Falls Police Department could not confirm whether or not a report of harassment was made.

More: Lesbian activist mourns death of wife, reflects on fight for marriage equality in South Dakota

South Dakota's hate crime statute does not protect language targeting someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Olson said this isn't the first time someone has targeted him or his husband. A few months ago, they received a letter of a similar tone in the mail with a return address from Olson's mother.

"The letter was actually kind of disturbing," he said. "I called my mom to ask if she or anybody she knew sent a letter, and she didn't have any idea."

Olson, who was forcefully outed by a tabloid after he appeared on "Survivor," has kept his life and relationships quiet over the past 20 years, he said. It's only been in the past few years that he's felt more comfortable talking about being openly gay.

But having two letters targeting him in the past few months, the first time anyone has tried to target him and his husband, makes Olson feel "like I have to hide that fact again."

More: 'We are your neighbors': How does it feel to be transgender or nonbinary in South Dakota?

"I didn't even sleep at night or the night after," he said, describing what happened after the couple found the letter. "I was worried, I was checking the house and the locks and just making sure that everything was fine."

While Olson thinks he knows who placed the package in his yard, he's been impressed with the support from his neighbors. A few went out and bought Pride flags to put in their yards, he said.

"I think that more than anything, that's what helped us kind of get over this hump," he said.

Olson confirmed Friday that the FBI reached out to him regarding the incident.

Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls man says he and his husband were targeted for being gay