Michigan City Sued By Ex-Officials Over Pride Flag Ban

The Detroit Free Press reports:

A federal lawsuit alleges the city of Hamtramck violated the U.S. Constitution when it passed and enforced a law this summer that banned the display of LGBTQ+, ethnic and political flags on government property. The 223-page suit was filed against the city, Mayor Amer Ghalib and city councilmen on behalf of two former city commissioners with the Human Relations Commission, Russ Gordon and former Hamtramck Mayor Pro Tem Catrina Stackpoole.

It alleges the law is not neutral because it allows certain flags on city property such as the prisoner-of-war (POW) flag and national flags. Gordon, who was once chair of the commission, first raised the LGBTQ+ pride flag in July 2022 on a city sidewalk, one of several different types of flags he has raised over the years on government property to help promote diversity. “We’re going to fight the bigotry,” Gordon said. “It’s religious bigotry.”

Read the full article. Hamtramck is the only US city with an all-Muslim city council and mayor. My June 2023 report on the Pride flag ban is here.

“Flying … the LGBT flag is something unacceptable,” Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib said, translating the words of a resident into English. “And it’s odd, he said, to humanity and to the nature of people. And he thinks it will destroy the new generations.” https://t.co/82UfNimdxR

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 15, 2023

Lawsuit alleges LGBTQ+ flag ban on Hamtramck city property is unconstitutional https://t.co/vvq51vmYX5

— Detroit Free Press (@freep) November 7, 2023

Hamtramck Councilman Nayeem Choudhury tells LGBTQ people they’re welcome in the city, but need to show respect to their religion. “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.”

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

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

The post Michigan City Sued By Ex-Officials Over Pride Flag Ban appeared first on Joe.My.God..