Westfield Shows Its True Colors With Pride Flag Raising

WESTFIELD, NJ - On a crystal clear Tuesday evening in front of Westfield Town Hall members of the governing body, staff and the community at large participated in a historic raising of Pride flag in honor of Pride month.

Thanks to the many residents who joined us on this historic evening to celebrate Westfield’s first-ever Pride flag raising ceremony," Mayor Shelley Brindle said.

Brindle noted that this ceremony was another extension of the commitment to inclusion she made on the campaign trail.

"Tonight, I’m proud to send a loud message to the LGBTQ community that you too are welcome and accepted here by honoring LGBTQ Pride Month with a proclamation that will be accepted by members of the Westfield High School GSA and Folio," Brindle said at Tuesday's meeting of the governing body. "Earlier tonight, I was honored to raise the Pride flag in front of this building for the first time, where it will remain for the month of June."

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. The month of June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969 in response to a police raid that took place in the early morning hours at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village. As a result, many pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBT people have had in the world.

According to officials, as well as being a month long celebration, Pride month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise political awareness of current issues facing the community.

Members of the Westfield High School Gender & Sexuality Alliance and their literary arts
magazine, Folio, were in attendance to accept Mayor Brindle’s proclamation to declare June
2019 LGBTQ Pride Month in Westfield, and spoke to the community gathering about the
significance of the occasion. Mayor Brindle read the proclamation a second time at the Town
Council meeting later in the evening to have it officially entered into the Town’s record, and
reiterated that the Pride flag would fly for the entire month of June.

Brindle noted that there are other initiatives that touch upon the theme of acceptance in Westfield.

"In addition, I remain committed to fostering a community culture of inclusion and acceptance as evidenced by the strides we’ve made with forming a Seniors Council, Adaptive and Inclusivity Council, and a Mental Health Commission," she said.

Recognition for dedicated service to bring the Cranford community together to remember and honor the lives and memory of the town’s fallen veterans

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.