CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago officially welcomed Pride month with the raising of the Progress Pride flag on Monday morning in Daley Plaza, where it will fly for the remainder of June.
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who led the ceremony, said the flag includes black and brown stripes to represent communities of color, as well as blue and pink stripes to “highlight transgender and nonbinary members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson was also in attendance.
“By raising the flags in the very heart of our city, we are reaffirming this as a place where all people are free to live, to live how they wish, to love who they want, and to be themselves in the most authentic of ways,” said Johnson.
Monday’s ceremony was the fourth annual flag raising for Pride Month.
“We stand here to say, ‘If your state or local government won't respect you, Cook County proudly welcomes you,’” Morrison said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said that while she is proud of the progress Cook County has made, there is still more to be done.
“Please know you can count on Cook County as a partner in all the work ahead,” Preckwinkle said. “We remain committed in fostering a county where all LGBTQ+ individuals are welcomed and celebrated.”
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