Detroit raises rainbow flag for 1st time in honor of LGBT Pride Month

DETROIT (WJBK) - The City of Detroit is displaying its support for the gay community during the month of June, which is LGBT Pride Month.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig and the department's LGBT liason officer were on hand to raise the flag in Hart Plaza for the first time ever on Tuesday.

The Motor City Pride Festival will happen this weekend, June 10-11. Every year it draws more than 30,000 people to celebrate the community and encourage unity.

"In Detroit, we work hand-in-hand with our community, always reaching out to let the community know we're here for them and that they have an ear and a shoulder. Their concerns, and any crimes against them will be taken seriously and will be prosecuted to the highest degree," says Officer Dani Woods with the Detroit Police Department.

The city says the flag raising is part of the city's efforts to support an inclusive, welcoming city for all.

LGBT Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, which became a tipping point for liberation in the gay community.

For more information on the Motor City Pride Festival, visit www.motorcitypride.org.