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Lynnwood proclaims June LGBTQ+ Pride Month; community speakers ask for more city support
Summary
The Lynnwood City Council on May 27 adopted a proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month and announced a June 2 flag-raising. Community members who attended urged the city to provide more tangible support for Lynnwood Pride events and said they had not received promised city help.
The Lynnwood City Council on Tuesday proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month and announced a Pride flag-raising at City Hall on Monday, June 2 at 12:30 p.m.
The proclamation, read by Mayor Christine Frizzell, framed the month as a commemoration of the Stonewall riots of June 1969 and a city commitment to being “a safe, welcoming, and equitable community for all.”
Why it matters: The proclamation was followed by several public commenters who said the symbolic recognition is welcome but urged the council to provide more active support for Lynnwood Pride programming. Speakers included organizers and community members who said they had applied for city and transit-center support months earlier without a decision.
Philip Lipson, who identified himself as a Pride organizer, told the council, “We are extremely upset … we applied back in January. We still don't have it settled.” Charlotte Lafever, introduced as director of the new Lynnwood Pride, asked for “more support from the city of Lynnwood” and said Pride organizers hoped to raise a flag at their kickoff on Sunday. Isabelle Mata, a resident and member of the LGBTQ+ community, said, “So while this proclamation is beautiful and amazing, and I so appreciate it, it also comes with action,” and urged the council to back tangible measures that make gatherings safe.
Council response: Mayor Christine Frizzell and several council members thanked speakers and invited organizers to follow the city’s sponsorship and proclamation request procedures. Council members reiterated that groups seeking a proclamation or city sponsorship need to submit the required forms in advance so staff can process requests and set expectations. The city clerk and council staff indicated they would follow up on the procedural steps for sponsorship and flag-raising requests.
Context and next steps: Organizers said they had applied to use the regional transit center and other city assets and that they planned a kickoff event Sunday, June 1. The council did not take any new binding action at the meeting to change sponsorship rules; staff told the council the standard application process and required lead times remain in effect.
Ending: The city will host a Pride flag-raising at City Hall on June 2, and Pride organizers asked for continued engagement from the mayor’s office and council to secure permissions and support for additional events.
