Hamtramck city council ousts commissioners who raised LGBTQ+ flag

The Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously this week to oust two appointed commissioners who raised an LGBTQ+ pride flag in defiance of a new law that banned the flying of the flags on city property.

The council also voted to strip the city's Human Relations Commission of its authority to raise flags on city property.

"We expect people who are educated, who are community leaders, to follow the rules, whether you like it or not," Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib said at a council meeting Tuesday night. "We expect people to respect law and order."

On Sunday, Russ Gordon, a member and chair of the Human Relations Commission, and former Mayor Pro Tem Catrina Stackpoole, also a member of the commission, raised a so-called progress pride flag on a city flagpole above a public sidewalk on Jos. Campau Avenue, giving speeches in support of LGBTQ+ rights.

Last month, the City Council voted to ban flying flags representing sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race or political views after residents had complained about earlier displays of the pride flag. A couple hours after the flag was raised Sunday, the city took it down along with two other flags Gordon had raised the day prior representing the African Union and the Cherokee Nation.

At a tense meeting Tuesday night, Ghalib and City Council members blasted Gordon and Stackpoole, who were joined Sunday by former Mayor Karen Majewski and a group of about 20 LGBTQ+ supporters, for what they called setting a bad example by brazenly breaking the law. Ghalib and his supporters said previous leaders in Hamtramck are trying to undermine his administration and the city's progress, claiming they were financially irresponsible and indifferent to Hamtramck's diverse population.

LGBTQ+ supporters at the meeting said there has been an increase in vandalism of pride flags and insults directed at LGBTQ+ people. The advocates asked city leaders to denounce the attacks and to speak out at local mosques against the attacks. Hamtramck is believed to have the highest percentage of Muslim residents in Michigan and has an all-Muslim city council.

Ghalib and some councilmen said in response they denounce any vandalism. Ghalib said they have been talking with community leaders and imams at local mosques to urge people not to commit vandalism. But he added that when activists openly defy the law, like the commissioners did Sunday, it makes their job more difficult.

"People who used to lead the city for decades are acting like this, disrespect of law and order," Ghalib said. "You are setting an example to the ordinary citizens to violate everything. Now if you are - (people) who used to lead the city - doing this and violating rules and laws, how do you want me to convince the citizens not to do something wrong? I can speak up; I can say statements, but would they listen to me when they see you ... violating rules?"

Majewski had flown the pride flag outside City Hall in summer 2021 and Gordon raised the flag last year in July at the same spot he raised the flag on Sunday. Both were opposed by many residents and supporters of Ghalib, who was elected in November 2021 after running on a campaign platform that included opposition to pride flags on city property. Ghalib said Gordon clearly violated the law, the democratic will of the people and the spirit of unity that the Human Relations Commission should support.

"He's being a divisive member of the community," Ghalib said of Gordon. "Disrespecting law and order - that's the reason why there is a valid cause for removing them from this commission. The purpose and the mission of this commission is to bring people together. He's doing totally the opposite."

Gordon told the Free Press he was expecting to be removed from his position on the commission.

"I think they were relieved to have an excuse," Gordon said.

Gordon said he had the authority to put up the pride flag last year from the previous administration.

"When I put it up this year (on Sunday) in violation of the restrictive resolution, they had their rationale," Gordon said.

In a statement to the Free Press before the council meeting, Ghalib compared the people who raised the flag to a militia group.

The flag-raising "violates the new resolution and it shows the type of irresponsible leaders who once used to lead our city, a group of  militia with zero respect to law and order."

Ghalib added: "The flag was removed by the city department of public service along with two other flags that represent groups, not countries. This irresponsible action will definitively have consequences to those who committed this violation."

More: Defying new law, LGBTQ+ pride flag is raised in Hamtramck, then removed by city

Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan, a member of the City Council, called upon the city manager and attorney to investigate and take "lawful action for those people who are involved" with raising the flag. It's unclear whether Gordon and Stackpoole will be prosecuted.

"They violated the ... Hamtramck ordinance," Hassan said.

Gordon and Stackpoole said they are working on some responses, including legal action. LGBTQ+ advocates recently announced they're planning a year of protests in Hamtramck.

Concern about anti-LGBTQ+ attacks

Mike Petrack, owner of Dos Locos Tacos, said at the Tuesday council meeting that two masked men egged his home Friday night. He had a pride flag on display outside the home. He said the eggs struck a window near where his baby was sleeping in a crib. He said that if an egg had shattered the window, the shards could have injured or killed his daughter. Another speaker said there has been a spike in anti-gay attacks in recent weeks since the new law banning pride flags was passed June 13.

"Two adult men could have very easily maimed or killed an innocent child because they are unwilling to tolerate a different point of view," Petrack said. "Emboldened by the rhetoric coming from this esteemed body of government, they committed a premeditated string of acts of intimidation and destruction of property against multiple owners and businesses, all because they don't respect their right to free speech."

Petrack called upon Hamtramck's six-member City Council and mayor to denounce such acts.

"Mr. Mayor, as far as I'm concerned, it's your duty to speak at every Friday service in town until it stops," Petrack said, referring to weekly Friday prayers at mosques. Friday afternoon prayers are usually the largest gathering of Muslims in mosques during the week.

More: LGBTQ+ advocates plan year of protests in Hamtramck as attorney general lends support

"If you're truly against this despicable behavior, then you need to say it louder and more frequently," he said.

Several of the councilmen denounced vandalism and hate.

"I condemn any hate crimes to anyone," Councilman Nayeem Choudhury said. "It is not acceptable. They are allowed to fly their flag on their property."

Councilman Abu Musa said he supported our "LGBTQ friends."

Ghalib said: "I just want to make it clear that we as mayor and City Council denounce any kind of vandalism, vandalism of private flags, or private properties, whatever they are. We are very upset by this behavior, whoever's doing them, kids or adults."

Ghalib said he has been pro-active on the issue.

"I actually did my part, and I contacted some community leaders and some activists and some imams at masjids," referring to Islamic centers. "And I told them to educate people, and to speak up in the Friday prayer, talk to the parents to educate their kids about this issue and how serious it can be. Some people do it for fun, and some people do it out of hatred. I don't know what are the motivations. I don't know who's doing that. But we are against this."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, Facebook.com/nwarikoo, Twitter @nwarikoo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hamtramck city council removes commissioners who flew LGBTQ+ flag