NEW: Major City Granted The Ability To Officially Ban The Pride Flag

A city in Michigan could begin to enforce its rule banning LGBTQ flags from being put on display on public property after U.S. District Judge David Lawson tossed out a lawsuit that was filed against the city of Hamtramck. The decision comes two years after the city council voted to limit the display of flags to only five, including the American flag, the Michigan flag, and other flags that “represent the international character” of the community.

“Hamtramck’s refusal to display the Gay Pride flag did not violate the Constitution,” Lawson explained. Those opposed to the policy say the city, which has a reputation for being welcoming to immigrants, was violating the First Amendment by not allowing Pride flags to be displayed.

However, Lawson fired back by clarifying that the policy did not violate the Constitution because it bans all private flags, not just some.

In 2021 and 2022, a Pride flag was displayed before the council, which is entirely made up of Muslims, an act that was seen as a challenge to the beliefs of some members. The policy was approved in June 2023, which so happens to be Pride Month for those who celebrate.

A month later, two council members who sat on the city’s Human Relations Commission were booted from their positions for flying Pride flags on city property.

“This Council believes in fairness, neutrality towards our residents, and the rule of law, amongst other things for this community. We passed a resolution recently to do just that, and two of our sworn commissioners outright defied it, and did what they wanted,” Council member Khalil Refai went on to say in a statement issued at the time.

The policy allows businesses and residents to fly Pride flags on their own private property if they wish.

Over 40 percent of the city’s 27,000 residents were actually born abroad, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. A high percentage hail from Yemen and Bangladesh, including the city’s mayor, Amer Ghalib, who is Yemeni. Ghalib was tapped by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.

“We’re not targeting anybody,” Ghalib, who is a practicing Muslim, stated in 2023. “We are trying to close the door for other groups that could be extremist or racist.”