The Rainbow Flag was raised Friday and is now flying over the San Jose Police Department.
Leaders in San Jose’s LGBTQ community are calling it a landmark moment.
“I remember when the police department was a little more closed-minded about accepting our LGBTQ members,” LGBTQ activist Ken Yeager said.
SJPD Chief Eddie Garcia said it was about time and couldn’t disagree with Yeager’s comments.
“This is long overdue,” Garcia said. “A flag represents what you stand for.”
And with that, the chief did what the department said has not ever been done by a major city police department before. He raised the Rainbow Flag.
“This is monumental,” SJPD Officer Lindsay Parodi said. “It makes me feel respected and appreciated.”
Activists in the LGBTQ community said flying the Rainblow Flag at the police department goes a long way toward repairing a sometimes fractured relationship with the police force.
The flag raising comes ahead of the weekend’s Silicon Valley Price celebrations.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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Source: NBC Bay Area