At a pride flag raising ceremony Thursday outside the Montgomery County Executive Office Building in Rockville, Maryland, local and state officials celebrated the beginning of Pride Month by highlighting the progress made in the state.
In 2012, state voters were the first in the nation to approve a marriage equality referendum.
But lawmakers said there was still much more work to be done, as hundreds of bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community are being introduced around the country, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Here in Montgomery County and in Maryland, we’re saying ‘no,'” Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass told WTOP. “We want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, safe and seen for who they authentically are, and that’s why pride and raising the flag is so important.”
Glass spearheaded the passing of the LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights, which expands civil liberties and bans discrimination in health care facilities, nursing homes and personal care facilities. He also worked on a bill requiring single occupancy bathrooms to be gender neutral in public buildings.
County Executive Marc Elrich said Montgomery County has a long history of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. Elrich was on the Takoma Park City Council when it passed one of the earliest domestic partnership laws in the nation.
“This month, we celebrate as a county even as we’re recognizing that the fight isn’t over,” Elrich said. “This is one issue in which there is no division. We’re all on the same page.”
Glass said, later this month, the county will be launching an anti-hate task force. It will be made up of diverse members of the community and will “determine how everyone can continue feeling safe,” he said.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is also dedicating one Ride On bus to support the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement. The Ride with Pride Bus, wrapped with the Pride Progress Flag, will be integrated on routes throughout the county during Pride Month.
