By Jack Marflak
On an overcast Saturday morning, June 27, 2026, dozens of people gathered at Kearny’s American Revolution Bicentennial Park outside Town Hall for the annual LGBTQ+ Pride flag-raising ceremony. A number of tables were set up displaying LGBTQ+ flags and stickers for people to view and take home.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community, family, friends and allies were there as well as Mayor Carol Jean Doyle, Council President Marytrine De Castro, Councilman George Zapata, Councilman Jose Rodrigues, Councilman Gerald Ficeto and Councilman Stathis Theodoropoulos. The Kearny Health department also had a table at the event.
The flag-raising event was coordinated with the mayor’s office and Kearny resident Amy Capuano. The ceremony was to be the culmination of Pride Month in town, symbolizing unity, inclusivity, and local pride.
The festivities began a little after 11 a.m. with Mayor Doyle addressing the crowd with some prepared remarks. The Mayor spoke about the community’s shared commitment to recognizing the history and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Mayor reaffirmed the commitment to building a town where everyone feels safe, welcome and valued. “One of the things that makes Kearny such a special place is our ability to live together, work together, and grow together despite our differences. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. It is what makes our community vibrant, resilient, and united,” said Mayor Doyle. She also reminded the crowd that although we have made progress we should all recognize that more work needs to be done.
The origins of Pride Month date back to the Stonewall Riots in NYC. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in NYC. Raids on the gay community were commonplace at the time, but this time the crowd refused to disperse and congregated outside in the street.
Tired of the constant harassment of the police, the crowd resisted. Riot police were brought in and it sparked six days of violent protests in the community. Although it was not the first time that the gay community had resisted oppression, Stonewall proved to be an international symbol for the LGBTQ civil rights movement.
In Kearny the LGBTQ+ flag raising has been a proud annual tradition in town with its origins dating back to June 26, 2021 when all 12 municipalities in Hudson County at the same time agreed to raise the Pride flag in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
The rain held out at American Revolution Bicentennial Park outside Town Hall long enough for the Mayor to conclude her remarks saying, “As we raise the Pride flag today, may it serve as a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity. May it remind us of how far we’ve come, inspire us to continue moving forward, and reaffirm that in Kearny, everyone is welcome.”
To the crowds delight, The Kearny High School K-Birds performed a rendition of our National Anthem and then Mayor Doyle and Kearny Resident Amy Capuano stepped towards the flagpole, turned the crank, and raised the Pride flag high above the cheering crowd.
Pictured left to right Councilman George Zapata, Council President Marytrine De Castro, Councilman Jose Rodrigues, Mayor Doyle, Amy Capuano, Michelle Almeida, Councilman Stathis Theodoropoulos and Councilman Gerald Ficeto. Photo/KearnyLife