City of Tracy Raising Pride Flag For First Time In History

TRACY (CBS13) - The City of Tracy will raise the Pride flag for the first time in city history on Friday, June 28, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Earlier this month Tracy City Council issued a proclamation declaring June "LGBT Pride Month."

Councilmember Dan Arriola, who is Tracy's first openly LGBT elected official, said: "This is a historic moment. We have never recognized LGBT month in the City of Tracy. This is about recognizing that LGBT people exist in our community and that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.  This is about acknowledging that we, as a community, must oppose intolerance and hate.  This is about every young person who has moved away because they felt they had to move to a more accepting community.  This is about every parent who has had to console their LGBT child after being bullied in school.  This is about business owners who have to decide whether they're going to raise a pride flag and determine how it's going to affect their profits.  And this is about how 50 years ago, transgender LGBT people of color stood up against what was determined to be unconstitutional criminal laws and began a movement that got us to where we are today."

The community is invited to help raise the Pride flag on Friday morning at 8 in front of Tracy City Hall.