Newcastle not raising Pride flag over city hall: ‘You want a Hamas flag? Or a MAGA flag?’
Jun 9, 2024, 5:17 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2024, 10:05 am
Pride flags are seen at the 2024 WeHo Pride Parade on June 02, 2024. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth, Getty Images)
(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth, Getty Images)
The Newcastle City Council voted 4-3 against raising the Pride flag over city hall in support of the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month.
“If we raise one flag, we got to raise everybody’s flag,” Newcastle Mayor Robert Clark said during the City Council meeting. “Do you want to Hamas flag flying over the city of Newcastle? Or a MAGA flag or a Trump flag? How about an Antifa flag? We’re not going there folks, not while I’m the mayor.”
More on Pride Month: Celebrate Seattle’s 50th Pride anniversary!
The mayor followed up his comments made at the meeting with a prepared statement obtained by KIRO 7.
“If people want to celebrate pride month in their own way, I will cheer them on,” Clark wrote. “I will not, however, tell the rest of the community that they also must cheer them on and the government raising the flag would say that. I am aware that many people cannot (or will not) agree with me, but I am firm in my beliefs.”
Newcastle joined many other Washington cities in raising a Pride flag for the month of June over the past four years, but that newfound tradition ends here.
Seattle has been raising the Pride flag over its city hall for the last 12 years.
“I did not sleep very well the night after that council meeting,” Newcastle Council member Paul Carboneau said, according to KIRO 7. Carboneau proposed the proclamation to raise the flag to the council.
Last year, Lake Stevens made a similar decision. Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey failed to sign a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month last year, citing personal beliefs. He signed it during the first years of his term.
More on Lake Stevens’ Pride decision: Lake Stevens mayor defends decision to not declare June as Pride Month
A community pride event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Lake Boren Park in Newcastle Tuesday, June 18, according to FOX 13.
Contributing: KIRO 7
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
