The town’s vote in favor of flying the Progress Pride flags is overwhelming. | LGBTQNation

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ NATION.

At the same time as the decision, several communities have decided to outlaw the flags on government land.

Williamstown, Massachusetts people voted 175 to 90 in favor of passing a bylaw permitting the Progress Pride flag to be flown atop municipal flagpoles. The vote took place during a city board meeting, and it coincides with other cities’ bans on the flying of rainbow-colored Pride flags from public buildings.

The 7,513-person town’s board discussed last Thursday how to change a bylaw pertaining to the town’s flag policy. Residents’ opinions regarding whether the flag, which specifically honors transgender people and people of color in the LGBTQ+ community, should be allowed under the amendment were taken into consideration by the board.

According to Jack Has, a member of the Gender Sexuality Alliance at Mount Greylock Regional High School, “for many, the flag is a symbol that, in our town, they belong.” iberkshires.com reports that he was one of eight speakers who remarked in favor of the flags.

When Justin Adkins moved to Williamstown in 2007, he told another supporter that he felt like the only other transgender person in the city. Since then, more LGBTQ+ families have relocated to the town because, as Adkins pointed out, they feel that it is an accepting community.

Adkins stated, “When I moved here, most people had never met a trans person.” That is not the case now. Many of the folks in this room may freely express who they are now.

“LGBTQ-plus youth still face a world where their basic being is questioned and legislated.… Flying a flag is, really, the least we can do,” Adkins added.

The bylaw’s opponents were concerned that changing the bylaw might ultimately lead to a large number of requests for flags supporting specific causes, such as banners supporting the Black Lives Matter anti-racist movement, “Free Palestine,” or “Back the Blue” (referring to the police).

Robert McCarthy, an older local, stated, “You have the right—every single group in this town has the right to put up any flag you want.” It can be placed on your house, yard, or place of business. I urge everyone with a plan to raise the flag. If you would like to fly your own flags, that is great, but please do not fly them atop city poles. Let’s keep the American flag and the POW/MIA flag alone.

The town’s decision was made concurrently with other communities’ votes to outlaw the flying of flags from public buildings. The people who live in Huntington Beach, California decided in March to outlaw Pride flags on municipal land. The town of Enfield, Connecticut, forbade the flying of the flag on any building owned by the town in January, citing the possibility that doing so would someday allow terrorist organizations to fly their own banners.

However, many cities allow their government spaces to display the Pride flag. In January, the town of Norwich, Ontario in Canada voted to reverse its Pride fag ban.