The declaration of June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Nevada City was celebrated Tuesday evening with speeches from city officials and a crowd of people gathered to watch the pride flag raised above City Hall.

“It’s also about celebration, it’s about celebrating who we are and who we love, celebrating our individual journeys of becoming and also our collective journey as a people,” Councilwoman Daniela Fernández said to the crowd gathered along York Street Tuesday evening.

“Let it be known that June from here on out will forever be known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Nevada City.”

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Fernández’s words brought cheers from the crowd, which then watched as Nevada City Manager Sean Grayson raised the LGBTQ+ flag above City Hall and below the California and U.S. flags.

Following the raising of the flag, the group participated in changing the banners hung along the downtown streets, from United States of America flags to the LGBTQ+ flag.

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The decision to change the banners along with the declaration was also made by the council. The banners were provided by a private donor.

The change in scenery hasn’t been welcomed by everyone, including at least one person who expressed discontent to the crowd as the banners were being changed.

On Wednesday, the majority of the calls fielded at the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce office were to complain about the LGBTQ+ flags, according to Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stuart Baker.

“People see the politics, people think that it’s polarizing,” Baker said, who also told the callers that the decision was made through the local democratic process.

Baker also said that the flags are scheduled to be up just for the month of June. When July comes, the United States flag will return to line the streets of downtown Nevada City in preparation of the Fourth of July.

To contact Multimedia Reporter Elias Funez, email efunez@theunion.com or call 530-477-4230