Pierce County raises pride flag outside county building for the first time

Outside the Pierce County council building on a sunny early June afternoon, people gathered waving rainbow flags while listening to pop hits like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”

They were commemorating a moment in the county’s history: the first time the pride flag has flown outside the government building. 

It had been about a year since a controversy over the flag arose within the county council.

“ What I love about events like this is that we get to find moments where we get to resist and celebrate, and it’s also marking part of our history,” said Matthew Wilson, director of the Oasis Youth Center. “This will now forever be part of Pierce County’s history, and that’s something to be really proud of.”

The center supports LGBTQ+ youth. Two youth leaders spoke and helped raise the flag on Tuesday.

“The pride flag, wherever it shows up on any of us or any of our spaces, it signals to people like me that everyone is welcomed here. It’s a symbol that you can be who you are and that you are part of the liberation,” said Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello. 

Mello is the county’s first openly gay executive. Last year, when he was a council member, he spoke out when another member said they wouldn’t sit in council chambers if the flag was up. The Seattle Times quoted Mello as describing disparaging comments made by that council member as dangerous. 

Before raising the flag, Mello reflected on the meaning behind each of its colors, as described by Gilbert Baker, who designed the flag in 1978 — red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, bringing joy, green for nature, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit. 

The flag at county headquarters is called the “progress pride flag” for its inclusion of light blue, pink and white stripes to represent the transgender community, and one brown and one black stripe to be inclusive of communities of color. According to the Human Rights Campaign, the black stripe also remembers those who died during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and ‘90s.

Standing in the crowd to offer their support were Pierce County council members including Chair Jani Hitchen, in the middle with the transgender pride flag, and Robyn Denson, to Hitchen’s left with the rainbow pride flag. Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell stands between them. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB)

After the flag raising ceremony, there was another first — the first time the county executive and the county council issued a joint proclamation inclusive of the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer community to celebrate Pride Month. 

During the meeting, Dana Coggon, a county employee, shared her support of the proclamation.

“ I know that seeing that flag raised to me today made a difference,” Coggon said. “ There are many queer people in our communities that don’t make it because they don’t have representation, because they are not seen, and I want to thank each and every one of you for seeing us.”  

Charles Ko, a co-chair of the county’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, helped raise the flag.

“ The pride flag today continues to empower our community, and every person who sees it waving near and far is reminded of these everlasting tenets: that we are joyful, that we are beautiful, and we are ever so powerful,” Ko said. 

The flag will remain up at the council building and in other locations around the county through the end of July. Tacoma, the county’s seat, celebrates pride month in July to ensure more attendance in the region to pride events.