About 100 people Monday evening to protest what LGBTQ+ advocates say is a ban on flying the gay pride flag at town hall.
The rainbow flag used to fly at town hall during the month of June for two years under a resolution passed by the previous Town Council.
鈥淚t really is all about love and I think people need to remember that, that's what that flag shows,鈥� Danielle Girard, vice president of , said in an interview. 鈥淚t's all about inclusion and it's about people.鈥�
But the new Enfield Town Council passed a resolution earlier this month saying only certain flags could be flown at town buildings: flags representing the state and country, as well as the prisoner-of-war/missing-in-action flag.
Inside town hall Monday night, people addressed council members and sounded off on the new flag policy.
Resident Alyssa Suitter criticized the council.
"It鈥檚 embarrassing to say I graduated from this town," she said. "It鈥檚 embarrassing to say I still live here. It鈥檚 embarrassing to say I came back here for this to be representing me. Because it doesn鈥檛."
Pamela Pasha thanked the town council, saying the new policy protects Enfield from lawsuits.
"They voted for protecting the taxpayers from the distinct possibility of negative repercussions," Pasha told the council. "When you say yes to one, you open yourself to having to say yes to all or face the negative and potentially dangerous consequences."
Enfield Mayor Ken Nelson is defending the new policy, approved by the council 6-5 earlier this month. He says the town is inclusive. He that the previous flag policy was "discriminatory."
that the new policy is a way to go "back to basics" and to avoid lawsuits.
鈥淭he greatest flag on the planet is that flag right there [the American flag], and that is the most inclusive flag there is, and we respect that," Nelson told Fox 61. "What鈥檚 great about that flag is if you disagree with me, you have a right to protest."
Council member Cynthia Mangini, who voted earlier this month against the new policy, said the goal should be to embrace diversity.
鈥淧eople that want to have the flag flown genuinely have a desire to display their representation,鈥� she said during the meeting. 鈥淎nd why it has to be met with such adversity really frightens me. Because it鈥檚 wrong. We need to be warm and caring, especially with members of our own community.鈥�
In an interview, Girard said the new policy is a de facto ban on the pride flag, and could stop other local groups from requesting to fly their representation flags on holidays like Juneteenth.
The rainbow flag had not divided the town in the two years it was flown during June, Girard said.
鈥淲e've never had any negative feedback from it,鈥� Girard said. 鈥淗aving them take this away has caused" a lot of people to be upset.
海角换妻's Cassandra Basler, Dave Wurtzel and Eric Aasen contributed to this report.
