Lee DeVito
Hamtramck officials will remove the Pride flag from city property after the city council voted to ban it.
The all-Muslim Hamtramck City Council on Tuesday banned LGBTQ+ Pride flags from being flown on all city properties, drawing criticism that the diverse city chose bigotry over inclusivity.
The so-called "neutrality flag resolution" also prohibits the display of religious, ethnic, racial, and political flags and states that the city won’t provide “special treatment to any group.”
The unanimous vote followed more than three hours of public comments and months of impassioned debate.
Dozens of supporters and opponents crowded into the council chambers and hallway at City Hall to speak out.
“I am a Lebanese person, and I support the American flag,” Hassan Aoun, an activist based in Dearborn, said. “We are not going to sit here and tolerate you guys coming in here and saying, ‘Oh, it’s Pride Month.’ If you’re gay, no problem. Be gay by yourself. Don’t sit here and throw it down my throat or anyone’s throat.”
But supporters of the flag criticized the council for invoking religion to justify a hateful action.
“I think the elephant in the room – the thing we all see and are not talking about – is that homosexuality is a sin, and I think that’s what’s weighing on people,” resident Russ Gordon said. “That is an inappropriate reason for banning this flag. … It may be a sin, but it’s a reality, and a lot of gay people live in this city, and that flag represents them. It allows them to feel like they belong in this community.”
Others mocked the city for boasting about its diversity while banning a flag that celebrates inclusivity.
Wearing a clown nose, Rose Carver held up a sign that read, “Hamtramck welcomes you if you’re straight.”
“Allow me to humbly present a redesign of the Hamtramck city placard to underscore this brave council’s position on neutrality,” Carver said. “This new sign will ensure that visitors and residents know that this is a city that stands for diversity, so long as it doesn’t offend the religious beliefs and backgrounds of others.”
Carver then kissed her girlfriend Abi Inman in front of the crowd, many of whom were wearing traditional Islamic clothing.
City Councilman Nayeem Choudhury defended the ban, saying the city wants to “respect the religious rights of our citizens.”
“You guys are welcome,” Ghalib said of LGBTQ+ residents. “Why do you have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented? You’re already represented.”
In January, Hamtramck swore in its first Muslim mayor and the first all-Muslim council were sworn in, making the Detroit suburb the only one in the country in which all elected officials are Muslims.
In a statement Wednesday, state Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, urged community leaders to "show their support for the LGBTQ+ community."
"Hamtramck residents of diverse backgrounds have lived side by side providing support and community to one another," Chang said. "During this time when hate crimes and attacks on LGBTQ+ folks are on the rise, it is critical that we build communities where every person’s humanity is respected and where we provide an environment where every person can be their authentic self and not be afraid to come out and be who they truly are."
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