The City of Greenbelt held its third Annual Pride Flag Raising at the Municipal Building on Friday afternoon, May 31.
“This flag is a powerful symbol of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and the ongoing support for equality in the LGBTQIA+ community in Greenbelt,” said Mayor Emmett Jordan to a crowd of about 50 people.
The Pride flag was placed directly below the Greenbelt flag, where it will stay for the entirety of June. After reading the city’s pledge, Jordan invited others to speak.
“Here in Greenbelt, [the Pride Flag Raising is] a tradition that all of us look forward to, and this community has continued to be on the frontline of progress for this county,” said Delegate Ashanti Martinez, who represents Prince George’s County in the Maryland General Assembly.
“I’m incredibly proud to represent a county such as this, where people understand that it’s so important to be welcoming, it’s so important to be inclusive and that love matters more than anything else.”
Antonio Driver, the LGBTQIA+ liaison for Prince George’s County, said that, although County Executive Angela Alsobrooks couldn’t attend, her administration fully supports the LGBTQIA+ community. The administration intends to make further progress in representing the community, Driver added.
A moment of silence took place for the late Councilmember Ric Gordon, as members of the Public Works Department raised the Pride flag. Gordon organized Greenbelt’s first-ever Pride Festival in 2022 and added the Pride Parade in 2023. The annual tradition of raising the Pride flag was Gordon’s idea, Jordan said.
This year a Pride Parade will start at the playground by Spellman Overpass on Gardenway on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. Post-parade festivities will take place from noon to 3 p.m., Jordan added.
Randy Chow is a student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism interning with the News Review.