Global Courant 2023-04-26 13:00:00
The City of Norwich, Ont., has voted to prevent Progress Pride flags from being flown on its property. Instead, the municipality has moved to only fly flags representing municipal, state, and federal governments.
The statutes have been proposed by the municipality. John Scholten during a Tuesday evening council meeting. Scholten says he believes that civilian flags best represent all groups of people and allow everyone to live together in harmony, regardless of their identity or beliefs.
“Whether flown together or separately, these (government) flags are all we need to represent the diverse and multicultural citizenship in Norwich township,” said Scholten.
“Opening the door to flags representing a particular group, organization or ideology will only divide rather than unite.”
According to Scholten, accommodating Pride flags will only inspire other communities to request their own flags.
The vote was 3-2, with Mayor Jim Palmer breaking the tie. Aside from government flags, the only other banners allowed to be installed on street lamp posts in townships are banners advertising downtown businesses or downtown beautification.
The decision disappointed hundreds of people who came to the meeting to protest the bylaws, which have divided residents of the Oxford County borough, east of London, Ont.
“It’s very disheartening to see how they voted,” says Norwich resident Tyler Zacher-King. “I definitely thought this would have been voted down, so I’m disappointed that didn’t happen.”
Bylaw tracked flag thefts and vandalism
Norwich City Council saw a large turnout of people speaking for and against banning Progress Pride flags on council property. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)
Zacher-King was one of eight residents who spoke at the meeting. He expressed support for displaying Pride flags and questioned both Scholten and Mayor Jim Palmer, who last year voted to allow Norwich’s Business Improvement Association to hang rainbow flags when they were both councillors.
Progress Pride flags feature black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color, as well as pink, light blue, and white, used on the Transgender Pride flag
The controversial issue arose last summer when the flags were stolen and vandalized multiple times in the city of just over 11,100 people. In March, Scholten proposed an ordinance that would allow government flags on council property. Last week he amended that ordinance to ban Progress Pride flags.
Norwich resident Wendy Martin said she supported the ban on Progress Pride flags because she believes the Canadian flag respects and includes everyone’s views.
“It was going to be an emotional mood whichever way it goes tonight,” said Martin.
“This has been a turmoil for many years. People need to come together as one and accept each other as they are. This will be a long healing process, but we need to find a way to build common ground.”
Julie Andronico has lived in the city for about a year now and said it was important to her to show her ally for the LGBTQ+ community, hoping for a more secure future for her two young children.
“I want to make sure I’m raising my kids in a city that’s going to appreciate them for who they are, whoever they become,” Andronico said.
The council also voted against a motion to declare June Pride Month starting this summer.
