Sterling Heights continued its leadership in LGBTQ+ outreach with the raising of the Progress Pride flag outside of City Hall on Thursday, June 1. At 6 p.m., members of the CommUNITY Alliance, City Council, Macomb County Pride, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, Mayor Michael Taylor, and Sterling Heights residents joined the event to celebrate the city’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

During the May 16 City Council meeting, the city passed a resolution to officially designate June as Pride Month for perpetuity.

Sterling Heights has made tremendous gains in representation and support for the LGBTQ+ community since receiving a rating of 8 out of 100 in 2019 from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. In just three years, the city responded to that initial poor score and improved that number from 8 to 91 in 2022, making it one of the leading cities in the state. 

City Communications Director Melaine Davis emceed the event.“When we saw that score it was a wake-up call,” said Sterling Heights Communications Director Melanie Davis. “We knew that wasn’t who we were and we wanted to change that. I really credit the City Council, Parks and Recreation, and all our employees in the city for getting the ball rolling on this.”

The city created the CommUNITY Alliance to partner with residents and members of the LGBTQ+ community to ensure needs were getting met and concerns heard. The city also increased its reporting on available services and worked with law enforcement to create a special LGBTQ liaison.

“Raising the pride flag each year is a wonderful visual reminder that we welcome, accept, and appreciate all of our residents,” says Mayor Taylor. “Sterling Heights is an inclusive community, and City Council proudly adopts resolutions throughout the year marking special days and months for many different groups of residents who make up the diverse fabric of our community, including Pride Month for our LGBTQ+ residents.”

Mayor Taylor and Vice-chair of the CommUNITY Alliance, Cindy Bjornson, raised the flag together. Many are familiar with the traditional Rainbow Pride flag but the city chose to raise the more modern and inclusive Progress Pride flag.

Bjornson explained the meaning of the flag and its importance to all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“In 1978, the Rainbow Pride flag was created. The red stripe symbolizes life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight and new ideas, green for nature and prosperity, blue for serenity, and purple to symbolize spirit. The Transgender Pride flag was designed in 1999. The baby blue, pink, and white colors of the Transgender Pride flag represents the genders and those who are transitioning. The colors of both flags were combined as the Progress Pride flag in 2018." 

“The black and brown stripes were added to represent LGBTQ+ people of color, the black stripe honors community members lost to or currently living with AIDS," says Bjornson. "The chevron, or the arrow, points to the right to show forward movement while being along the left edge shows the progress that still needs to be made.”

The flag will fly in front of City Hall for the entire month of June.

Before the event ended, Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois addressed the crowd about new initiatives and upcoming events with the LGBTQ+ community and the city. 

In partnership with Macomb County Pride, Sterling Heights will host the Macomb County Pride Picnic on Sunday, June 25, from noon to 3 p.m. at Dodge Park. The city will also have its first ever Pride Night at the Dodge Park Farmers Market Thursday, June 29, at 3 p.m.

“Our job is to provide services for everyone. In the Parks and Recreation Department, our mission is to link our community together, no matter what our differences are, our job is to bring people together, that’s what makes Sterling Heights such a great place,” said Langlois.

To honor Pride Month, all full-time Parks and Recreation staff will be wearing purple to symbolize unity during city events. The purple shirts will make the workers easy to identify and ensure that all residents know they are welcome and have someone they can ask for assistance during Sterling Heights’ many events.

As the event ended, the theme of service continued. 

“If there is more we can do, tell us,” said Mayor Taylor. “Tell the City Council members, tell the city manager, tell administration, get the message to us and we promise to listen and we will do whatever we can to be as inclusive and welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community and every other community in Sterling Heights. We want Sterling Heights to be your home and to be a home for [everyone].”