On June 4, 2024 Newcastle's Mayor, Robert Clark, and council majority voted AGAINST raising the Pride Flag at City Hall in solidarity with Pride month. Newcastle has been a safe town, striving for an inclusive, welcoming community until the council voted in Clark as mayor in January. A stark conservative, Clark, has been against Black Lives Matter, affordable housing, mental health activism and now LGBTQ allyship. Clark made a rule that the city was not going to do proclamations, although the previous mayor had made multiple, including AAPI, BLM and anti-racism recognition. 

In a recent KING 5 news article, Clark stated the, "most unifying symbol in the history of the world, flies at City Hall everyday - the American flag... That's diverse enough for me. That includes everybody in the community, everybody. Nobody is left out with the American flag." 

As most know, the American flag has not been a symbol of inclusion for everyone, especially with what has come to light in recent years. Adding recognition to those often silenced, oppressed and erased makes a statement that we see you, you're safe and we as Americans are striving to be better community to all. 

Help us tell the Newcastle Mayor, Deputy Mayor and council majority that their ideologies are harmful and exclusive. That comparing raising the Pride flag to supporting Hamas and MAGA is disgusting and far from the point. 

For a recording of Tuesday's council meeting, search Newcastle City Council votes not to raise Pride flag in June, on King 5 News website. 

Thank you to the council members who voted for inclusion and made the motion to try to raise the Pride flag, Charbonneau, Sherlock and Burford.