The rainbow pride flag is flying high over Spirit Plaza to honor LGBTQ Pride Month.

Flying the flag for LGBTQ Pride Month is part of the City of Detroit’s ongoing support of an inclusive, welcoming city for all. This year’s flag-raising, led by Police Chief James Craig, city officials and LGBT leaders in Detroit coincides with activities leading up to the Motor City Pride Festival June 8-9 at Hart Plaza.

“In Detroit, it shouldn’t matter if you’re gay or straight, cisgender or transgender, we are a welcoming city where everyone is valued and deserves access to real opportunity,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “We are proud to be building a diverse city that includes our LGBT residents and celebrates the contributions they make to our city every day.”

The flag-raising ceremony is the first event of an effort to celebrate Detroit’s inclusive legacy and future for its LGBT residents. Throughout June, the city will celebrate Detroit’s rich LGBT history and culture, its long-standing anti-discrimination laws and steps taken in recent years to improve LGBT community relations, such as the creation of the Detroit Police Department’s LGBT Liaison.

“For years, Detroit has been a leader in protecting our LGBT employees and residents. We were one of the first major cities to put protections in place for sexual orientation in the 1970s, and again for gender identity in the 2000s,” says Charity Dean, director of Detroit’s Office of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity. “There is more work to do, but I am proud to celebrate our history and our progress during Pride Month, and I am eager to continue this progress in the years to come.”

The City of Detroit will also be represented at Motor City Pride again this year, with city employees marching in the parade on Sunday and setting up informational booths at the festival to inform residents of city services and initiatives that may impact them. City employees will also be attending events in the community to raise awareness of the city’s services and initiatives for residents.

The city will also highlight everyday stories of LGBTQ Detroiters through its storytelling platform The Neighborhoods, using the hashtag #pridetroit. In past years, The Neighborhoods featured stories about investing in the LGBTQ community, safe spaces in Detroit, and profiles of LGBTQ leaders in government and around the city.

#pridetroit content can be found at TheNeighborhoods.org, Comcast Channel 21, a City of Detroit cable channel, and the City’s YouTube channel.

Festival schedules and information can be found at www.motorcitypride.org. You can also follow it on Facebook.

  LGBT community relations Detroit Police Department’s LGBT Liaison, LGBTQ Pride Month, LGBTQ Pride Month in Detroit, motor city pride, Spirit Plaza