Pride flag lawsuit fight seeks support

Russ Gordon and Catrina Stackpoole, both former members of the city’s Human Relations Commission, are seeking financial donations for their lawsuit against the city for not allowing pride flags to be displayed on city flagpoles.

By Charles Sercombe
It’s flag season in Hamtramck.
Last week, the city once again raised flags on the 18 flagpoles on Jos. Campau, between Caniff and Carpenter.
And once again, the city is displaying only the American flag.
But two former members of the city’s Human Relations Commission want the city to also go back to displaying the flags of those countries from which Hamtramckans originally came.
Catrina Stackpoole and Russ Gordon are hosting a GoFundMe to raise money for the legal fees for their lawsuit against the city. Their campaign is called “Celebrate all of us. Raise all the flags.”
Both were removed from the Commission after defying a city council resolution last year banning the display of pride flags, as well as international flags, on city property.
They were protesting the city council’s decision to allow only the American flag, the city and state flags and the prisoner of war flag to be displayed on public property.
Stackpoole and Gordon raised a pride flag on one flagpole on a Sunday afternoon, which was removed by the city about an hour after it went up.
That council resolution came after heated debate in the community over the display of a pride flag on a Jos. Campau flagpole earlier last year.
Those opposed to the display of a pride flag objected on moral and religious grounds. The issue attracted substantial media attention, here and nationally.
Both Stackpoole and Gordon were subsequently fired, by Mayor Amer Ghalib and city council, from their unpaid positions on the commission for their act of defiance.
Up until then, Gordon volunteered to collect donations for the flags, and put them up each year, for no charge to the city.
Stackpoole and Gordon are saying the mayor’s and council’s action is unconstitutional, and that the city’s decision was based on religious beliefs.
The mayor and council are all Muslim, and currently all-male. They justified their ban as a way for the city to remain “neutral” in the debate of pride flags, as well as other potentially controversial ones.
On the fundraising site for Stackpoole and Gordon, they say:
“One of Hamtramck’s greatest strengths is its unique diverse population, from all over the United States and the world. In recent years, as Hamtramck’s population shifted from mostly eastern European immigrants to include folks from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, we have enjoyed great food and culture and made new friends.”
It continues:
“Sadly, in 2023, Hamtramck’s new Mayor and Council decided to reverse all our hard work to make Hamtramck a welcoming city. The Council, with the Mayor’s approval, passed a resolution prohibiting flying the pride flag on city property.
“We believe this law is both unconstitutional and goes against the spirit and intent of the flag project on Joseph Campau, that was meant to celebrate our diversity, recognize the beauty of our different backgrounds and make everyone feel welcome and included here in Hamtramck.”
They hope to raise at least $5,000. You can find the site by going to gofundme.com and searching for “Raise all the flags.”
Currently, depositions for the lawsuits are being conducted.
The city has, for now, taken over the purchasing, maintenance, and raising of the flags.
Posted April 26, 2024