Pride Month Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall

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Rev. Karen was accompanied by Ken Drake, Judy Jerome, Roz Kearny, Doreen Markson, Mary McGuirl, Katie Spires and Nancy Bender, members of the Social Justice Team, to the second annual Celebration of Pride Month Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall.

Celeste Friend, Utica City Councilwoman, read the Mayor’s Proclamation and stated, ”I want everybody who lives in Utica to know that whether they are LGBTQ, whether they’re out or not, whether they are young or old, whether they’re struggling to come out to their families that they are loved and accepted here.” She also told those who aren’t accepting that they are loved too and we wait for them, “on the other side of fear.”

“I take a lot of pride and the fact that when I have a number of people traveling here and stopping here, they often ask me why are we so different, and you know why we are so different?” Mayor Robert Palmieri said. “Because we have people who love and with love you conquer all. You don’t put up barriers, you take the barriers down.”

Rev. Karen and other clergy spoke. Our minister had a message that was uplifting and from the heart and made us proud.
Rev. Karen Brammer, Rabbi Peter Schaktam from Temple Emanu-El and Rev. Jill Farnham-Us of the Interfaith Coalition of Greater Utica.
Members of UU Utica in support of the flag raising
Rev. Karen speaking at the flag raising ceremony