Selectmen issue proclamation for LGBTQ Pride Month

June 5, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer

Stopping short of agreeing to fly a Pride flag at Town Hall during Pride Month -- June -- as requested by thousands of supporters who had already signed a change.org petition to the board, the Selectmen issued a proclamation for LGBTQ Pride Month yesterday.

"Hingham recognizes the important contributions of its LGBTQ+ residents to the town’s history, culture, economy, and civic life," the proclamation begins. You can read it in its entirety here.

As of today, more than 5,800 people had signed the petition, which was started by Hingham student William Buckley.

After yesterday’s meeting, the Hingham Anchor checked in with Selectmen Chair Karen Johnson about the part of the discussion related to the flag request.

"We talked about the risk of litigation if we fly a flag from a non-governmental group in the absence of a policy; the town resources required to respond to litigation; and the importance of conducting an open public process about developing policies around visual displays by third parties at Town Hall or on town property (other than the schools)," Johnson said.

The Selectmen noted that the board does not issue many proclamations, and this was an important issue and an important undertaking by the Hingham Pride Project. This non-profit group works to increase LGBTQ+ visibility in Hingham, raise funds for organizations that provide community programs and activities for LGBTQ+ youth, and to promote inclusivity among residents of all ages through community activities and education.