For the second year in a row, St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman raised the rainbow flag above City hall to mark the start of the city's Gay Pride festivities.
Compared with last year's flag ceremony, this one was short and sweet, and carried out with a little less fanfare.
But in his few remarks to the crowd before raising the flag, Kriseman made sure to address a couple of flag-related controversies that have been in the news lately.
State governments across the South are scrambling to remove the Confederate flag from public buildings, and are facing outrage from those who believe the flag signifies heritage rather than nostalgia for the days of slavery. The call for removal of the flags came after the race-based killings of nine African-American parishioners at a Charleston church last Wednesday. Now some anti-gay pundits are turning the tables and calling for the removal of the Pride flag.
And at St. Pete City Hall, a small group of conservatives urged the city to stop flying the Pride flag, or else fly a "pro-life" flag during the week anti-abortion activists highlight their movement.
So, yeah, flags are kind of a thing right now.
"Recently there's been a lot of talk about flags," Kriseman said, "and I think it's important to note that this flag that we are about to raise over City Hall represents unity. It's a flag of unity, It's a flag of love. It's a flag that's not just for the LGBT community. It's a flag that's for the entire community and it's about bringing people together."
He was flanked by Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, Mayor's Office LGBT Liaison (and St. Pete Marketing Director) Robert Danielson, Police Department LGBT Liaison Lieutenant Markus Hughes, and Assistant Police Chief Melanie Bevan (who, along with the mayor, will be an honorary grand marshal of the pride parade).
"That's why, once again, I'm very proud on this day standing here with my deputy mayor, with members of my team, with LGBT liaisons… to raise this flag over City Hall as we begin St. Pete Pride weekend here in St. Petersburg," he said.
With that, he hoisted the flag, which will fly as St. Pete welcomes thousands to celebrate what many say is the largest celebration of its kind in the Southeast U.S.
Learn more about St. Pete Pride by checking out our Pride issue here.