Joshua Fike, who has lived in Federal Way for nearly 30 years, was there to see the rainbow flag raised on Jand said, “It’s nice to feel that I have a home here where I grew up. After a contentious Council meeting in December 2019, Mayor Jim Ferrell said that he would be raising the Pride flag proudly in June 2020 as a commitment to inclusion and protection under governmental speech. The fall brought a tense battle between a small group of activists and a group of community members who fought against any flag being raised that wasn’t the traditional three flags usually flown outside of City Hall (the American flag, the State of Washington flag, and the City of Federal Way flag). Activists asked if the Pride flag could be raised the following year. Each Councilmember read a portion of the proclamation, representing their collective desire to be inclusive and show support of the Queer community that has long since lived in the city. The City of Federal Way had their first official Pride Month recognition in 2019, with the City Council reading a Pride Proclamation. But in the 35 miles between the two major cities, mostly consisting of south King County, it has been a long time coming that other cities offered any kind of official representation for Pride Month.
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The City of Seattle has been celebrating Pride officially since 1974 and theirs has been known as the go-to event for many years.
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Residents and local activists have asked for Pride representation from their local governments and each year, more city governments are committing to finding ways to celebrate and show the commitment to inclusion of their LGBTQIA+ community members. Today, Pride Month is a time to celebrate the increased visibility of and continued desire for equality and self-affirmation for the LGBTQ+ community.
SEATTLE GAY PRIDE WEEK SERIES
In the U.S., Prides and festivals are usually held in the month of June to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a series of demonstrations by the New York City Queer community protesting a violent raid of the Stonewall Inn and the ongoing brutality they were experiencing at the hands of the New York Police Department. The term “Gay Pride,” coined by gay rights activist Thom Higgins in Minnesota, has become the most common way to articulate the many celebrations held during this month every year.