The Lincolnwood Village Board proposed a formal policy earlier this month to fly Pride flags on Lincoln Avenue every June and to expand the flying of American flags on Lincoln and another village street.
Trustees agreed by consent at their Oct. 3 Committee of the Whole meeting to fly the Pride flags annually on Lincoln between Touhy and Devon Avenues during the month of June.
In addition, they agreed to begin flying American flags a few weeks earlier every year on Pratt Avenue between Lincoln and Cicero Avenue and to begin flying them on Lincoln in July after the Pride flags are removed.
Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura said adding the American flags during July on Lincoln would create a more efficient process of removing and hanging flags for village staff.
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“From an operational perspective, we’re going to have staff putting up flags and taking them down,” Gaura said. “They’re going to be in a bucket truck. It is much easier for them to take a flag and just put another flag up.”
The Pride flag represents the “intersectional diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2-S) communities,” said Elijah Bebora, management analyst for the village, who asked the board to identify specific policy regarding the flag program.
“The village has a long history of celebrating its multicultural diversity,” Bebora said in August. “The Pride flag is increasingly being incorporated into local, state, and federal programs.”
On Lincoln, the current proposal calls for flying Pride flags during the month of June, American flags during July and diversity flags celebrating the various home countries of Lincolnwood residents during August. June is considered Pride Month.
On Pratt, the board warmed to the idea of flying American flags starting on May 1, rather than Memorial Day, and continuing through July 31. Overall, American flags will fly almost a month longer on Pratt and for the first time for one month on Lincoln.
Trustee Atour Toma Sargon requested that the new policy limit donations for flags to monetary contributions, rather than actual flags, so the village does not receive flags of different sizes.
During discussion, Bebora warned that Lincolnwood’s flag policy prohibits flying American flags next to other flags at the same height. In August, the board considered flying Pride flags on the same flagpoles as American flags.
Trustee Craig Klatzko said the flags can be flown at the same height as long as another country’s flag is not flown higher than the American flag. The village flies flags from other countries at the same height as the American flag during diversity month, Klatzko said.
Trustee Jean Ikezoe-Halevi warned of the “financial impact” of flying so many flags for so much longer each year.
“You have to realize that depending on the weather, those flags fade really fast,” Ikezoe-Halevi said. “The Human Relations Commission used to replace one-third of ethnic flags every year. Some are expensive, some are not. One flag costs over $100. It depends on how rare and difficult to get they are.”
Sargon said the estimated cost of replacing all Pride and American flags annually is just $1,000.
Village President Jesal Patel estimated the cost of replacing American flags at about $900 a year. “That’s not a big number,” Patel said. “You’re absolutely right.”
Ikezoe-Halevi said the flags must be disposed of properly. Trustee Christ Martel said local Boy Scouts “will happily do that.”