June is Pride Month and the city of Redmond celebrated with a proclamation this week and hanging a flag acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community.

City council president Angela Birney presented the proclamation to PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside chair Beth Lenholt at the June 18 meeting.

The city’s proclamation stated, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers who enrich the Redmond community.” It also stated that the city of Redmond believes in dignity, equality and constitutional, and civil rights of all people.

The city noted that the proclamation “affirmed the city’s commitment to serve everyone in the greater Redmond community without discrimination.”

Lenholt thanked council members and everyone who was present to support the occasion.

“The reason this is so important is because it gives a reflection in your community,” she said. “It’s a really visible signal that we’re welcomed here. It also means a lot to our friends and allies who’ve shown up to support. Thank you all and it means a lot to our community.”

Pride month was created to commemorate the Stonewall Inn riots of 1969 in New York City. At that time, police arrested and harassed LGBTQ people, who often found refuge at gay and lesbian bars, including the Stonewall Inn. In the early morning of June 28 that year, the police raided the inn which caused riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents. The riots lasted six days and was spearheaded by transgender people and people of color. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

In honor of Pride Month, City Staff and Council President Angela Birney raised the Pride flag at City Hall on June 17. Courtesy photo of City Redmond Facebook