For the first time in the city's history, Green Bay raises the Progress flag for Pride Month
GREEN BAY – For the first time in its history, the city of Green Bay raised the Progress Pride flag Tuesday to celebrate June as Pride Month.
Rainbow lights have illuminated the Ray Nitschke Bridge every June for the last three years, so it came as something of a surprise for at least one attendee, Amy DeBraske, 42, to learn this was the first year the city raised the Pride flag.
It's been a long time coming, she said, and the symbolism behind the flag is personal for DeBraske, who brought her daughter Piper to the ceremony.
"Our family has always embraced diversity within our community. One of the reasons to share this moment with Piper is she is a member with the LGBTQAI+ community," DeBraske said. "I also have two children who are members of the community. I thought it was very significant to raise the flag."
Mayor Eric Genrich and members of the city's Equal Rights Commission raised the Progress flag at noon in front of City Hall before a few dozen attendees. The Progress flag includes colors associated with the original rainbow flag, transgender community members, marginalized LGBTQ communities of color, community members lost to AIDS and those currently living with AIDS.
Waving the flag symbolizes a fight for liberation in the queer community, and Green Bay's gesture comes as politicians have introduced over 200 anti-LGBTQ bills across the country.
"When I talk about compassion, it means standing with people … especially in times of trial," Genrich told the crowd. "If anybody's paying attention to what's going on with the world right now, it's more vital than ever to stand with those who are vulnerable, who are under attack, and that's certainly true of the LGBTQ community."
This year, the city tripled its score in an annual report by the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index, which tracks municipal resources for the LGBTQ community.
With a score of 84, Green Bay is a single point shy of being considered an "All-Star" status.
It's something that Eliza Cussen, a Wisconsin organizer with the Human Rights Campaign, sees as a major success for the city.
"The Municipal Equality Index is not just an indicator of LGBTQ+ inclusion, it's a liveability index showing how cities invest in community," Cussen said. "We can say unequivocally that Green Bay is a good place for LGBTQ+ people to live, work and raise a family."
In his speech Tuesday, Michael Vinson, a member of the Equal Rights Commission, told the crowd he and his husband were among the first men to marry in the city of Green Bay.
"Personally this moment means so much to so many people in our community," Vinson told the crowd. "It speaks to the visibility and inclusion that the city continues to embrace under the leadership of our fantastic mayor."
And DeBraske, who was born and raised in Green Bay, said the city is a safe place to raise children who belong to the LGBTQ community.
"They do feel safe. They feel included in the community, not just the LGBTQ community, but the community as a whole," DeBraske said.
Natalie Eilbert is the mental health reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Central Wisconsin You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay raises the Progress flag for first time to mark Pride Month
