6/26/2020

Statement from Mayor Tenke:

In prior years, the government of the City of Glen Cove made the decision to display a Pride Flag during Pride Month, beneath the American Flag and POW/MIA Flag on a flagpole in our downtown. Unfortunately, that flagpole was compromised due to an auto accident some time ago. As the month of June was quickly going by, we wanted to commemorate Pride Month by displaying the flag somewhere near the location it had flown before. We located a small building used for storage which previously did not display a flag and decided to display the Pride Flag there so it could be seen in our downtown. Despite the fact that there was no flag present at the storage building, it was brought to my attention that some individuals were disappointed to see the Pride Flag on a municipal building without an American Flag flying above it. While we felt it would be appropriate to relocate the Pride Flag to a light pole in our downtown, we stand firm in our decision to display the Pride Flag in our community. Eventually, the flagpole in our downtown will be restored, and we will continue to fly the American Flag there in a prominent position. While the American Flag and POW/MIA Flag always come first, the City Council and I stand behind what the Pride Flag represents and, as a result, authorized its display. I firmly believe that we live in a community that supports tolerance, inclusion, and equality, and the City Council as well as myself align ourselves with those values.