Kelowna

Photo: Contributed

The Rainbow Pride Flag will fly at Kelowna City Hall.

The flag will be flown during Pride Week, August 8 to 15.

"We are extremely proud and honoured to have the Rainbow Flag flying high at City Hall this year," says Pride Chair, Dustiyn Baulkham.

"The City of Kelowna and Mayor Sharon Shepherd have been extremely supportive of the LGBTQ community since Mayor Shepherd was elected in 2005."

While the raising of the Rainbow Pride Flag is commonplace during Pride celebrations across the country and around the world, the flag raising will make a first for Kelowna.

Back in 1997, then-mayor Walter Gray came under fire when he refused to proclaim 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Day,' and instead proclaimed 'Gay and Lesbian Day.'

Gray argued at the time he should not be forced to sign a proclamation he did not agree with.

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled that action was discriminatory.

Gray eliminated all future proclamations.