A Michigan city is among the first in the nation to publicly reject the flying of LGBT Pride flags on city property as the Hamtramck City Council voted this week to prevent the flying of the banners from municipal flagpoles.
Hamtramck lies near Detroit and has a substantial Muslim population. Each member of the city council is Muslim.
When the city council was challenged about the decision, one of the city council members said that all are welcome, but asked why LGBT individuals “have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented?”
“You’re already represented. We already know who you are,” the representative said.
The meeting included a number of protesters, who stated that the rule was inappropriate. Two women kissed in protest at the meeting.
One speaker showed up to the meeting wearing a clown nose and said that “many Hamtramck residents have fled countries where being gay is a death sentence.”
One council member said that the council desires to “respect the religious rights of our citizens.”
The city had been debating the same issue for years, as then-Mayor Karen Majewski (D) flew the LGBT Pride flag outside its city hall in 2021. She was then challenged and defeated in the following election by the city’s current mayor.
The Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously to display only five flags, including the American flag, the Michigan flag and one that represents the native countries of immigrant residents. https://t.co/fwjy47C6IL
— WashTimesLocal (@WashTimesLocal) June 14, 2023
Local press reported that the city of 28,000 Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan (D) introduced the resolution, reciting a portion of the Gettysburg Address regarding the role of government being of the people, by the people, and for the people.
One member of the city council said that Hamtramck would “serve everybody equally with no discrimination but without favoritism.” This included a significant number of city officials who are LGBT.
The city allowed five flags to be flown on its property: the U.S. flag, the state flag, the city flag, the Prisoner of War flag, and one representing the nations of origin of the city’s residents.
The decision does not affect the ability of people to fly the LGBT Pride flag on private property.
