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Each June, Mountain View officials raise a rainbow flag outside of City Hall in recognition of Pride Month. This year, the city is expanding that annual tradition to include a community pride celebration with live performance, activities for all ages and a community resource fair.
Dubbed “Together in Pride,” Mountain View’s first citywide pride event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 7, on the plaza outside of City Hall, 500 Castro St.
The celebration is a way to raise awareness and support for the city’s LGBTQ+ community, Community Services Director John Marchant told the Voice.
“It’s an inclusive event that reflects the city’s ongoing commitment to diversity, belonging and community connection,” Marchant said.
After years of the annual rainbow flag raising, Marchant said that there was interest from both community members and city staff in hosting a larger-scale event to celebrate Pride Month.
The city’s recognition of Pride Month dates back to 2014, when then-Mayor Chris Clark proposed flying the rainbow flag outside City Hall. In 2018, the annual observance was formalized as part of the city’s municipal code.
This year’s citywide pride celebration comes at a time when rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people are being rolled back at the federal level. The Trump administration has signed executive orders impacting transgender people’s participation in sports, their ability to receive gender-affirming medical care and their applications for passports.
Asked whether the decision to host a pride celebration was tied to what’s happening nationally, Marchant said that the two aren’t connected.
“It was not due to the current administration or the current changes at the federal level,” Marchant said. “This was something that was in the works prior to that.”
While planning for the event is still underway, the city intends to have a range of live performances, including from El Camino Reelers, which is a local LGBTQ square dancing club, and Queer Taiko, a Japanese taiko drumming group.
There will also be a community art project, a family fun zone with activities for all ages, and booths with local organizations offering various resources, according to the city’s website.
The event is free to attend and will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit mountainview.gov/pride.
