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Richfield City Council proclaims June 2026 Pride Month; commissioner accepts proclamation
Summary
The Richfield City Council adopted a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Pride Month, noting Stonewall origins and local LGBTQ+ milestones; Human Rights Commissioner Kim Lutz accepted the proclamation and spoke about authenticity and community inclusion.
The Richfield City Council on May 26 adopted a proclamation declaring June 2026 as Pride Month in Richfield, citing the Stonewall riots and naming Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in the document.
The proclamation also cited local milestones, including that Ward 2 elected its first openly gay council member, Shawn Hayford O'Leary, and that Leigh Finke was elected in 2021 as the first openly transgender member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Mayor Mary Supple read the proclamation and invited Kim Lutz of the Human Rights Commission to accept it. Commissioner Lutz said she was honored to accept the proclamation and stressed the importance of being able to live authentically and to be seen and valued by the community.
Councilmember Hayford O'Leary later described a recent NACTO infrastructure tour and said visitors—particularly one young transportation professional who identified as gay—found the city’s rainbow roundabout at 67th and Lyndale a meaningful symbol of welcome.
The proclamation was supported by the Human Rights Commission at its May 5, 2026 meeting, according to the council record.
