January 1, Michigan City Council Members Ousted for Illegally Raising Pride Flag

The city council in Hamtramck, Michigan, known as the only American city with an all-Muslim city council and mayor, has removed two members of its Human Rights Commission.

Russ Gordon and former Mayor Pro Tem Catrina Stackpoole allegedly defied a new law and hoisted a Pride flag on city property.

A month ago, Hamtramck passed a law prohibiting all flags on city property except the American flag, the state of Michigan flag, the city flag, a flag honoring American POWs, and “the nations’ flags that represent the international character of” Hamtramck.

The legislation, which some believe targets the Pride flag, faced significant opposition but passed unanimously.

On Sunday, Gordon and Stackpoole reportedly raised a “progress flag,” closely resembling a Pride flag, over a public sidewalk along Joseph Campau Avenue.

They also held an LGBTQ rights rally attended by around 20 people, including former Mayor Karen Majewski.

Gordon also supposedly raised the African Union and Cherokee Nation flags on city property a day earlier.

“Disrespecting law and order — that’s the reason why there is a valid cause for removing them from this commission,” said Mayor Amer Ghalib, elected in 2021 partly due to his opposition to hoisting the Pride flag on public property.

“The purpose and the mission of this commission is to bring people together.”

After their removal, Gordon suggested he raised the flag to challenge the law’s limits and the resolve of public officials responsible for enforcing it.

He stated, “When I put it up this [Sunday] in violation of the restrictive resolution, they had their rationale,” and added, “I think they were relieved to have an excuse.”

While the city stands ready to penalize those disobeying the law, the ordinance doesn’t prevent residents from flying flags on private property.

However, some who have opted to do so report being victims of attacks motivated by anti-gay sentiment.

Area restaurant owner Mike Petrack claimed masked men egged his house on Friday, potentially endangering his young daughter.

Petrack said, “Two adult men could have very easily maimed or killed an innocent child because they are unwilling to tolerate a different point of view.”

Mayor Ghalib, while condemning any acts of vandalism or violence, firmly reiterated the flag ban’s legality and stated that defying the law amounted to an attack on “law and order.”

He said at the meeting, “We expect people who are educated, who are community leaders, to follow the rules, whether you like it or not. We expect people to respect law and order.”

It remains uncertain whether any participants at the Pride flag rally will face charges.

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