SALISBURY, Md. - Last week, Mayor Randy Taylor decided against the city taking part in raising a rainbow flag, an annual tradition marking the start of LGBTQ Pride Month. The group organizing the event has now found a new venue.
For years, the event was attended by the mayor, city council members, and other dignitaries. However, this year, Salisbury's pride flag raising will be off city property and not an officially city-sponsored event. Mark Delancey with PFLAG Salisbury said it was not hard to find a new home for the flag.
"We had several calls concerning how they could help. This was one of the options that I chose, and I thought that it would be good because not only is it one flag pole, it's two," Delancey said.
Some downtown businesses are already showing their support with colorful signs and powerful messages. The owner of Crybaby Tattoo, who goes by 'Peach,' expressed her strong support for the event.
"We worked so hard to get where we are today, and I feel like we should be celebrated. And I feel like that goes for a lot of different months that we celebrate people; there should be more flags, in my opinion," she said.
Mayor Randy Taylor told WBOC the city is moving away from flying flags for specific organizations on the municipal flag pole, stating that neutrality is not meant to be unfriendly. When we asked about the future of the rainbow banners and crosswalk, the mayor did not respond.
Mitch Marriner of Delmarva Homegrown hopes for a compromise.
"I think that a happy medium might be to erect a flag pole to fly any type of flag, whether it’s Haitian Flag Day, Veteran's Day, the veteran flag, prisoner of war, whatever it may be," Marriner said.
The pride flag raising on West Carroll Street is set to take place at noon on Saturday. PFLAG says it has invited Mayor Randy Taylor to attend.
PFLAG partnered with the Downtown Salisbury Business Alliance, and downtown shop owners will have the option to display rainbow flags and banners during Pride Month. Nicole Blackwater of the Downtown Salisbury Business Alliance emphasized the importance of community unity.
"We are all making statements when we can, and we're all putting flags up at our places of business. We hope that the businesses together can show solidarity and support, and that downtown is a safe space for everyone and is a welcome place to all," Blackwater said.
The Business Alliance is asking supporters to show up at next week's city council meeting in Salisbury.