Dacorum Raises the Flag for Pride Month

An LGBTQI+ inclusive Pride flag is flying proudly above Dacorum Borough Council’s offices in Hemel Hempstead. The flag, which will fly throughout June, marks the beginning of a month of national Pride celebrations. June is chosen as the month to celebrate Pride as it marks the anniversary of the Stonewall protests in New York City in 1969, a key turning point for LGBTQI+ rights around the world.

Chief Executive, Claire Hamilton, who was present at the raising of the flag, said: ‘We are proud to kick off Pride month with the raising of the flag here today at The Forum. Dacorum is a richly diverse borough and it’s important that we acknowledge and celebrate this. LGBTQI+ individuals and families contribute to making Dacorum the wonderful place that it is, and we would like to send our best wishes and thanks to those celebrating this month.’

This month Dacorum Borough Council will be launching its own LGBTQI+ Allies Scheme. The scheme will seek to increase the visibility of its support for LGBTQI staff, reinforce inclusion and diversity training and reassure employees that they can be unapologetically themselves at work without judgement.

Some may notice that the Pride flag at The Forum looks a little different. This version of the flag, known as the ‘Progress Pride Flag’, was designed by U.S designer, Daniel Quasar in 2018 and has been adopted by key LGBTQI+ Organisations. The redesigned Pride flag aims to represent the entire LGBTQI+ community, including those who have historically felt excluded from the mainstream movement. The Progress Pride flag includes black and brown stripes to recognise the unique struggles faced by LGBTQI+ people of colour. The pink, white and blue stripes reference the Trans Pride flag.