California on Monday raised the LGBTQ-pride flag over the state capitol for the first time in honor of Pride Month.
“For the first time ever, the Pride flag has been raised at the State Capitol!” Democratic governor Gavin Newsom’s office wrote on Twitter.
“In California, we celebrate and support our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community’s right to live out loud — during Pride month and every month,” Newsom said. “By flying the pride flag over the State Capitol, we send a clear message that California is welcoming and inclusive to all, regardless of how you identify or who you love.”
“While some states and the federal government dehumanize LGBTQ people, California stands firmly for equality and inclusion,” said state senator Scott Wiener, Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.
Colorado, whose governor, Jared Polis, is the first openly gay man to hold that job, raised the pride flag outside the state capitol building in Denver for the first time on Friday. New York and Wisconsin also decided to fly the flag over their state capitols for the first time earlier this month, prompting criticism from some lawmakers.
“Is this any more appropriate than erecting the Christian flag over the Capitol?” Wisconsin state representative Scott Allen asked on Twitter. Allen later told the Associated Press that the flag “advocates a behavior or lifestyle that some Wisconsin residents may not condone,” and is thus “divisive.”