HAMTRAMCK, Mich. — A Detroit-area community has banned LGBTQ+ flags from publicly owned poles after a tense hourslong meeting that raised questions about discrimination, religion and the city’s reputation for welcoming newcomers.
Some members of the all-Muslim council said the Pride flag clashes with the beliefs of some members of their faith. Businesses and residents aren’t prohibited from displaying a Pride flag on their own property.Hamtramck, population 27,000, is an enclave surrounded by Detroit. More than 40% of residents were born in other countries, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and a significant share are of Yemeni or Bangladeshi descent.
“I’m questioning whether it is. … The Pride flag represents making space for all humans on all the spectrums, and this is where we’re going as a human species,” Cain said. “You can’t stop that.”