Lansing raises Pride flag over City Hall to kick off Pride Month 2026
Mayor Andy Schor and city officials raised the Pride flag over City Hall as Pride Month begins, while the Republican-controlled state legislature takes a more muted approach.
LANSING, MICHIGAN — Mayor Andy Schor and city council members raised an LGBTQ+ Pride flag over Lansing City Hall on Monday afternoon, marking the beginning of Pride Month 2026 in the state capital.
“We’re proud to do this, we’re proud to have the Pride flag go up right here in the capital city, showing everybody that these are our beliefs, that we believe in love for all, that we believe in pride, that we believe in in the LGBTQ+ community, that these are just standard things that we believe here in Lansing,” Schor said during the ceremony. “We are welcoming, we are inclusive, we’re proudly diverse.”
Councilmember Ryan Kost joined the mayor for the flag-raising event, which Schor noted has grown in attendance each year since the city began the tradition. The ceremony took place in front of City Hall as community members gathered to witness the symbolic gesture.
State Legislature Takes Different Approach
While Lansing city officials celebrated Pride Month with the flag ceremony, the atmosphere across the street at the State Capitol remains different under Republican control. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has taken a more muted approach to Pride Month recognition compared to previous years when Democrats held power.
In 2025, House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland Township refused to bring a Pride Month recognition resolution to a vote. This marked a change from the prior two years when the Legislature passed such resolutions under Democratic leadership during their trifecta control.
Republican House leadership is expected to take a similar approach this year, though specific plans for Pride Month recognition in either chamber of the Legislature remain unclear.
Message to State Lawmakers
Addressing legislators who might oppose Pride Month recognition, Schor emphasized that the city’s flag display sends a clear message about Lansing’s values. The mayor pointed out that raising the Pride flag across from the Capitol demonstrates the city’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“This says the city that you come to in order to pass the laws is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, is wanting to show their support publicly to everyone,” Schor explained. “It says that not just to the legislators, it says it to all the folks that all the workers that come to work here, all the school groups that come to visit.”
The Pride flag will fly over City Hall throughout June as Lansing joins communities nationwide in celebrating Pride Month. The ceremony represents the city’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity and support for LGBTQ+ residents, even as political divisions over such recognition persist at the state level.
Monday’s flag-raising ceremony marks another year of Lansing’s public demonstration of support for the LGBTQ+ community, with city officials emphasizing their commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all residents regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
