Community members celebrate raising of Pride flag at the state capitol

From the Office of Gov. Jay Inslee:

Dozens gathered at the state Capitol this week to raise an LGBTQ+ pride flag in celebration of Pride Month. The event was organized by the Washington State LGBTQ Commission. Washington is among the first states to raise this new version of the flag which represents inclusion of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and trans and intersex communities.  

State leaders have striven to adopt policies that protect the rights and safety of people in the LGBTQ+ community. In recent years, legislators have approved bills to prohibit anti-LGBTQ bullying, ban conversion therapy, and ensure health insurance coverage for gender-affirming treatment.  

This week’s celebration comes at a time of rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and physical assaults in Washington state and around the country. Gov. Jay Inslee, legislators, and community leaders all expressed their commitment to ensuring Washington remains a state that protects the equality, dignity, and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals. 

“Raising this flag has a purpose,” Inslee said. “It’s a purpose of continued commitment, not just celebration, because we have to understand that there still are voices of intolerance. There are still those that feel threatened, and there are those who do not wish to let others be who they will be.”