Gov. Jay Inslee raised a rainbow flag on Monday to kick off Pride Week in Olympia.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The rainbow-colored pride flag will fly at Washington's state capitol this week. A ceremony on Monday kicked off Pride Week in Olympia.

“I think the flag we’re going to raise is something every Washingtonian should be proud of,” said Inslee before raising the flag for the fifth consecutive year.

This Sunday, thousands are expected to line streets near the capitol for a celebratory march.

The parade will begin right under the flag, the same place where activists gathered at the original pride event in Olympia in 1991, according to Capital City Pride founder Anna Schlecht.

Schlecht said the 1991 event was more of an angry protest and rally than the parade, festival and celebration it has become.

Capital City Pride Secretary Lucas Miller said this year’s celebration will mark the 50th anniversary of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn, when the LGBTQ community fought back against New York City police persecution in June of 1969.

“It went from being a gay rights movement to a gay liberation movement,” said Miller. Despite steady progress, Miller said there is lots of work to be done to support members of the LGBTQ community.