Missoula City Council Officially Recognizes LGBTQ Pride Flag
By Taylor Richardson, NonStop Local Multimedia Journalist
MISSOULA, Mont. – In a landmark decision, the Missoula City Council voted 9 to 2 to officially recognize the LGBTQ Pride flag as the city’s flag, allowing its display in public schools and government buildings. The resolution passed during a heated city council meeting with a packed chamber, where community members passionately shared their views.
Numerous supporters, particularly from Missoula County Public Schools, emphasized the importance of the Pride flag in fostering inclusive and safe learning environments for LGBTQ students. Hellgate High School student Linus Peterson articulated its significance, stating, "That flag isn’t a symbol of hate. It’s a symbol of inclusivity and love."
While the majority of comments favored the resolution, a few residents voiced opposition. Sonya Quackenbush argued that the Pride flag does not represent the entirety of the Missoula community, claiming it lacks inclusivity for all population facets.
The council’s decision comes on the heels of Montana law HB 819, which restricts flags representing political parties, races, sexual orientations, genders, or ideologies from being flown on government properties. This law threatened the visibility of the LGBTQ Pride flag in the region. However, by recognizing the Pride flag as an official city flag, the Missoula City Council utilized Montana Code allowing local entities the right to display flags representative of themselves, thereby circumventing the restrictions imposed by the new state law.
Community members hailed the resolution as a victory for inclusivity and representation, reinforcing Missoula’s commitment to supporting its LGBTQ residents. For more details on the resolution and the council meeting, visit https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3wFBVV95cUxPU2libkR4Q3BtTnhYRlRFQW5CZG1fRlhGWUhLX3Y1OGJJaC0zOENCbkdaclhOUnp3Z0p1RVZYX0RVdUxvSXJ0ZUZoQlp6eHFkMDJQaWRtUkJyakRJUkRycGFlLW1pTnpRb0FzdnhRZFNvMzhHQTFweDc1cjA3TjhpeUpRUWdkTzZveDY5NUxfdjR1NFZOa1lJVHVNd1g5N0dQTjNQUmxURkhobkcwQ2YzLXd5aE1hc2MxT3k2bWVFR19CbGtkUjdsejN0NzNhMlR0YVRZS01fbGlvMlFzb2tv?oc=5.
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