On Tuesday, in a well-attended and contentious public meeting, a Detroit-area community implemented a ban on LGBTQ+ pride flags from publicly owned poles. The Hamtramck City Council is made up of all Muslim members, several of whom voiced their concerns that the pride flag contradicts their religious beliefs. Displays of the flag are still permissible on privately held property such as businesses and homes.
The measure, titled Resolution to Maintain and Confirm the Neutrality of the City of Hamtramck Towards Its Residents, states that the City does not want to open the door for radical or racist groups to ask for their flags to be flown.
The decision comes after a heated hours-long discussion in which during the public comment period, resident Rose Carver spoke while wearing a red clown nose and staged a protest by kissing another woman standing beside her. Carver held a sign that read, “Hamtramck welcomes you if you’re straight.”
In her public comment, Carver said:
Allow me to humbly present a redesign of the Hamtramck city placard to underscore this brave council’s position on neutrality. This new sign will ensure that visitors and residents know that this is a city that stands for diversity, so long as it doesn’t offend the religious beliefs and backgrounds of others.
Council member Nayeem Choudhury responded by stating that the LGBTQ+ community is already recognized in the city, questioning the necessity of displaying the flag on public property.
Council member Choudhury said:
You guys are welcome, why do you have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented? You’re already represented. We already know who you are.
During the public comments, two women who opposed the Hamtramck resolution banning LGBTQ flags from city property, one wearing a clown nose, gave a sarcastic presentation, then kissed in front of the city council: pic.twitter.com/QFO4ws3i4H
— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023
Hamtramck, with a population of 27,000, is a culturally diverse enclave surrounded by Detroit. Over 40 percent of its residents were born in other countries, with a significant number tracing their ancestry to Yemen or Bangladesh. The council unanimously approved the policy outlining what types of flags can and cannot be flown on City property. The resolution states:
…that the government of the City of Hamtramck does not allow any religious, ethnic, racial, political, or sexual orientation group flags to be flown on the City’s public properties, and that only, the American flag, the flag of the State of Michigan, the Hamtramck Flag, the Prisoner of War flag and the nations’ flags that represent the international character of our City shall be flown.
Hassan Aoun, an activist based in Dearborn speaking in support of the resolution, said:
I am a Lebanese person, and I support the American flag. We are not going to sit here and tolerate you guys coming in here and saying, ‘Oh, it’s Pride Month.’ If you’re gay, no problem. Be gay by yourself. Don’t sit here and throw it down my throat or anyone’s throat.
Mayor Amer Ghalib highlighted the flag issue during his campaign, referring to when former Mayor Karen Majewski displayed the Pride flag on city property in 2021. He emphasized that the city serves everyone equally, without discrimination or favoritism.
Dawud Walid, director of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, emphasized that Hamtramck’s flag policy does not discriminate against any specific group. He drew attention to the fact that Muslims who oppose displaying the LGBTQ+ flag are no different from conservative members of other faiths who share similar views.
Walid said:
If there was one group that was not being granted access to something while others were then we would have a problem.
Walid further explained that flags carry symbolic meanings and promote ideologies, saying:
Flags carry symbolism. Those symbols carry social and political messages.
The decision by the Hamtramck City Council to restrict the display of the Pride flag on government property has drawn criticism. Detroit City FC, a professional soccer team that holds games in Hamtramck, called the council’s decision “inexcusable” in a Twitter post, writing:
Detroit City FC’s support of the LGBTQ+ community is unwavering. We are committed to making Keyworth the most welcoming sporting venue in US sports.
A letter from the organization to Council members condemned the policy as “Hasty attacks on the First Amendment in public spaces,” and urged the body to reconsider the measure.
Detroit City FC's support of the LGBTQ+ community is unwavering. We are committed to making Keyworth the most welcoming sporting venue in US sports. pic.twitter.com/WJOtWk3bzk
— Detroit City FC (@DetroitCityFC) June 14, 2023
During Tuesday’s meeting, Choudhury said, “You’re welcome here, but you have to respect the people around here…mosques, churches. We want to respect the religious rights of our citizens.”
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