Montgomery County Council proclaims June LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, highlights resilience and inclusion

The Montgomery County Council on Monday read a proclamation declaring June 2026 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, marking the county's eighth consecutive year recognizing Pride and featuring community testimonials about visibility, faith and inclusion.

Council President opened the ceremony and invited Council member Evan Glass to speak. Council member Evan Glass said he was the first openly LGBTQ+ council member to lead the Council in recognizing Pride and recalled the first flag-raising eight years ago. Glass said that early celebrations were followed by “nasty vitriolic behavior” directed at his office, including calls and messages so severe that staff let phones go to voicemail for three days. "We regrouped and started planning for the next year's pride events," Glass said, adding that continued flag-raisings show persistence and solidarity.

A short video of local leaders followed. In the video, Keren Kendra Holmes, introduced as a veteran and former Maryland Defense Force member, described transitioning and the importance of visibility: "Being transgender is who we are in our mind, heart, and spirit," Holmes said. Yael Betsch Bart Astor, identified as an equity specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools, said her role is to help schools create spaces where "every child feels like they belong." Father Tim Kars, introduced as the 27th rector of Christ Church in Rockville, tied inclusion to faith, saying "True inclusion is God," and recounted being forced to leave a seminary years earlier because he was gay.

Council members acknowledged the presence of staff from Congressman Jamie Raskin's office, a referenced Congresswoman (named in the transcript as April McLean Delaney), representatives from SEIU Local 500, and MoCo Pride Center. The video and the speakers emphasized the 2026 theme “Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” and repeated calls for Montgomery County to remain a welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ residents.

The proclamation reading included several "whereas" clauses recognizing historical leaders such as Marsha P. Johnson, noting the 10th anniversary of marriage equality in Maryland and referencing the federal Respect for Marriage Act, and stating that LGBTQIA+ rights face ongoing attacks at national levels. The Council's reading affirmed Montgomery County's commitment to support non-binary, transgender, and gender-expansive residents, and specifically noted the marginalization faced by Black trans women. The reading concluded: "the County Council of Montgomery County, Maryland, hereby proclaims June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month."

The ceremony concluded with applause and a request for attendees to come forward for a group photo following the reading. The proclamation was ceremonial; no roll-call vote or motion is recorded in the transcript.