MWRD Raises a New Flag
Press Release | April 28th, 2019
In recognition of Pride Month, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) raised the Pride flag for the first time outside its headquarters on Erie Street off the Magnificent Mile. The rainbow striped flag is associated with the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights and is a widely-recognized emblem of equality and inclusion.
This June marked the 50th anniversary of a raid by the New York Police Department on the Stonewall Inn, a tavern that was a place of celebration and community for LGBT people. The raid spawned spontaneous acts of individual civil disobedience that blossomed into a larger demonstration of community solidarity and resistance, ultimately drawing national attention and becoming a source of inspiration for the wider movement for LGBT rights.
To commemorate the anniversary, the MWRD Board of Commissioners also recognized the contributions of the LGBT business community. Commissioner Shore and Commissioner Marcelino Garcia presented resolutions to Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, including Chamber founder Tracy Baim, current director Jerome’ Holston and business owner Dan Earles.
“We applaud Commissioner Morrison and the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois for the difference they have made in the lives of the many business owners of Illinois and the countless employees and customers they have impacted,” said Commissioner Garcia. “Like the Stonewall Inn movement, if you stand back and don’t take chances and push for justice and acceptance, society will not change. Thank you to the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois for their courage in prompting those changes that have driven economic development and given small business owners a genuine opportunity.”
