The City of Huntington has decided not to display the pride flag this Pride Month, sparking mixed reactions from the community.

The Huntington City Hall will only fly the flags of the United States, West Virginia and the city of Huntington this year, bringing an end to a recent tradition established by former Mayor Steve Williams.

The tradition began as a result of Williams’ LGBTQ advisory committee and their recommendation to have the pride flag flown during Pride Month to show allyship to the community.

In a statement made on the City of Huntington, WV’s Facebook page on June 2, Mayor Patrick Farrell’s administration  said its decision to fly the three flags was made in accordance with federal and state guidelines.

“In our effort to serve every resident equitably and align with federal and state guidelines, we have chosen to display only these official flags at this time,” the post reads. “This decision reflects our commitment to maintaining a welcoming public space where every individual is respected and represented under the shared flags of our nation, state and city.” 

The post garnered much attention on Facebook – receiving 1,500 likes, 1,300 “love” reactions and 1,100 “angry” reactions.  The decision was met with protest by some individuals in the community, including City Councilwoman Ally Layman, who said the flag has been flown in recent years to highlight inclusivity.

“Over the last several years, the City of Huntington has flown the pride flag during the entire month of June to show that the city is a welcoming, safe and inclusive city for everyone,” Layman said.

Layman said she made several attempts to speak to Mayor Patrick Farrell’s administration about flying the pride flag during Pride Month.

“In our previous council meeting before June, I made a verbal ask to the administration to fly the pride flag to show inclusivity,” Layman said. “The Farrell administration has been very vocal about safety within the city. Being an inclusive city shows that it’s welcoming and safe for everyone. I find this to be greatly important, especially in the climate that we’re in currently.”

Layman said the Farrell administration has not answered her questions despite several attempts at communication.

“I followed up this verbal ask with two written emails,” Layman said. “I received a reply from the mayor that did not answer my questions, so I sent him another email asking him to answer if we would be flying a pride flag or if he would do a proclamation, and he did not answer that email at all.”

Layman said the Farrell administration’s lack of a response to her attempts at communication has left her feeling disappointed, as she believes transparency is important.

“I was deeply disappointed,” Layman said. “I would hope that this administration would be open about why it’s not being flown. The press release, or the social media statement, said it was not being flown because of state and federal guidelines, which is not true. There are no state or federal guidelines stating that you cannot fly the pride flag at a municipality.”

In response to the pride flag not being flown, Layman started a social media campaign to encourage individuals and businesses to fly the pride flag to show inclusivity and tolerance throughout Huntington.

“I made a social media ask to the community that if the flag was not being flown at City Hall, for residences in Huntington, businesses and local organizations to fly a pride flag in their homes, on their porches or on their vehicles to show allyship and to show that the city of Huntington is a compassionate, welcoming space regardless of if the flag is being flown or not,” Layman said.

Layman said she has heard from a wide variety of her constituents about their desire to have the flag flown at City Hall, regardless of party affiliation.

“This isn’t a partisan issue. I’ve heard from Democrat, Republican, Independent folks, folks who aren’t even registered to vote,” Layman said. “Everybody knows somebody in the LGBTQ community that has expressed their want of having the flag at City Hall, so I’m doing my job as a councilwoman to listen to my constituents and advocate on their behalf.”

Ashton Pack can be reached at [email protected].