ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County kicked off Pride Month Monday morning by raising a rainbow flag at the Executive Office Building in Rockville. This is the first time in county history that the Pride Flag will be flying over the council's office building.

Local leaders and activists gathered at 101 Monroe St. for the flag raising ceremony at 11:30 a.m. "The LGBTQ+ community is a beautiful tapestry that includes all gender expressions, gender and racial identities, immigration and socioeconomic statuses," said Councilmember Evan Glass, the county's first gay councilmember. "It is this rainbow of experiences that make the Pride flag a significant symbol of our diverse community."

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, who was in attendance on Monday, said the county must be firm in its support of the LGBTQ+ community, a group that has been politically and institutionally ostracized throughout American history. "We need to be clear — Montgomery County supports our LGBTQ+ community," said Elrich. "As County Executive, I am committed to recognizing people's fundamental rights. We will continue the work to make our County more welcoming so that everyone can pursue their dreams."

Monday morning's flag raising ceremony, which kicks off a month's-worth of LGBTQ+ pride celebrations in the region, falls just before the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots — the catalyst for the gay rights movement. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village. The raid sparked a riot and led to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street and in nearby Christopher Park.



"With the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots just a few weeks away, it is important to reflect on how far we have come as a community and how far we still have to go. I hope Pride 2019 is a starting point to have these conversations and create spaces for residents to connect with each other. If you are an LGBTQ person living in Montgomery County, know that you have a whole community behind you," Glass said.

During Pride Month, Glass will be leading a series of LGBTQ+ celebrations across Montgomery County. Events range from a family day at Glen Echo Park to a drag performance at Denizens Brewing Co., an LGBTQ-owned business.