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Simsbury board reads Pride Month proclamation, calls for inclusion as flag is raised
Summary
The Board of Selectmen read a proclamation declaring June Pride Month at a June 1 Town Hall ceremony, with remarks from a state representative and a communal flag-raising to underscore the town’s support for LGBTQ+ residents.
Wendy, a member of the Town of Simsbury Board of Selectmen, opened a June 1 flag-raising at Town Hall and said the event is intended to make "every person who lives, works, learns, worships, volunteers, and visits here knows that they belong." She announced a proclamation and invited Melissa, identified in the remarks as a state representative, to speak briefly before the proclamation was read.
Melissa, introduced during the ceremony as the town’s state representative, praised Simsbury’s reputation as welcoming and recounted that multiple families chose the town because of that reputation. "Pride is about being welcoming and affirming and inclusive of everybody," she said, thanking town staff and volunteers who helped organize the event.
The board then recited a formal proclamation that it said had been issued at its previous meeting and was being read aloud for attendees who missed that session. The proclamation affirms the town’s commitment to "supporting the visibility, dignity, and equity" of LGBTQ+ residents, recognizes their contributions to the town’s civic and cultural life, and proclaims June as Pride Month in Simsbury.
Speakers framed the local ceremony against a broader national backdrop, noting recent debates over LGBTQ visibility. One speaker cited reports of pride symbols being removed from historic sites, including the Stonewall National Monument, and said such actions underscore why local displays of support matter. The board urged residents to reflect on "ways we can all live and work together with a commitment to mutual respect and understanding."
After the proclamation, board members invited attendees to participate in a new process for raising the flag so everyone present could help "crank the flag." The event concluded with an invitation to a community Pride picnic following the ceremony.
The proclamation itself, as read by the board, calls on the community to support LGBTQ+ members and to recognize their contributions; the text cited continued discrimination nationally as a reason for local solidarity. The board did not record a vote or mover/second during the public recitation; minutes indicate the proclamation had been issued at the prior meeting.
