Pride flags taken down in Northport after complaints
The dispute comes as new banners honoring veterans were introduced in the park this year.
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Fewer Pride flags are flying in a Northport village park this June after complaints prompted officials to remove about half of them, according to organizers and village officials.
Jeff Cusick, of Northport Pride Fest, said the reduction has been disheartening for the LGBTQ community.
“It’s very disappointing,” Cusick said. “Our whole point of existing is to show the community that we’re here and that people are welcome here.”
The dispute comes as new banners honoring veterans were introduced in the park this year.
Mayor Donna Koch said members of the American Legion raised concerns about sharing space with the Pride flags.
“I had the Pride flags removed last Thursday until a compromise could be reached,” Koch said.
Pride organizers are now pushing to have all of the flags restored for the remainder of Pride Month.
Cusick argued the expanded veterans display was used to push back against the Pride flags.
“Our belief is that they expanded their program in the park with the purpose of using patriotism to support discrimination,” he said.
According to the mayor, a person upset about Pride flags sharing lamp posts with veteran banners went to the Northport police station and threatened to take matters into their own hands.
“That all the Pride flags were going to be taken down. That is an act of vandalism, that is a hate crime,” Koch said.
As part of a compromise, the village moved some veteran banners, including one featuring Vietnam veteran Bruce Adams, from lamp posts to a nearby fence.
Adams said he hopes a solution can be reached that respects both groups.
“Where we can have the veterans’ photographs up and yet we can still have the Pride flags shown,” he said.
The mayor said the village plans to allow Northport Pride Fest to hang additional flags on unused lamp posts for the rest of June.
