New flag raising policies are raising eyebrows in a few central and northern New York communities.
The Oneida County Pride Association will not be able to raise a pride flat at Utica City Hall next month, as a result of a new policy put in place by the mayor’s office. Now, only flags representing countries or municipalities will be allowed to fly at City Hall.
It’s a move that caught the attention of Syracuse City Auditor Alex Marion. He said he wants everyone to know that they’re welcome at Syracuse’s Pride Flag raising on June 1, and he doesn’t agree with Utica’s decision.
"I think that we have a history in central New York of being a warm and welcoming place that celebrates our neighbors, and I think that it is just really disappointing that a community would not open itself up and celebrate its neighbors in that way,” Marion said.
Utica’s mayor said the city will issue a proclamation for Pride month, and the new flag policy is to avoid inconsistencies and potential lawsuits for allowing some flags and denying others.
The reasoning is similar in Watertown, where the City Council voted 4-1 to tighten its flag guidelines, pointing to a case in Boston, where the city lost a lawsuit after denying a Christian group’s request to fly a flag at City Hall.
Watertown City Council member Cliff Olney, the lone dissenting vote, said he thinks allowing flags celebrates diversity in the community.
"This is a dangerous slope that we're going on right now with this banning of flag raising, OK?” he said during Monday’s meeting. “It's like banning books, burning books, same thing is pretty much what it is."
But Council member Robert Kimball said the city isn’t stopping anyone from flying flags or celebrating diversity on his or her own property.
"It is not, I think, my role as a City Councilman to advocate for a particular flag or advocate against a particular flag to be flown on the city flag pole,” said Kimball.
The Watertown policy will only take effect for future inquiries. Since applications were already approved, the raising of the Pride flag, Juneteenth flag, and Israeli flag at Watertown’s City Hall will go forward this year as scheduled.
