6-3-24 governor evers announces progress pride flag to be flown statewide

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #229, ordering that the Progress Pride Flag be raised over the Wisconsin State Capitol during the month of June in celebration of Pride Month. The Progress Pride Flag will fly over the East Wing of the State Capitol building beginning at noon on Fri., May, 31, 2024, and ending at sunset on Sun., June 30, 2024. Additionally, Executive Order #229 authorizes state buildings and any jurisdiction of the state of Wisconsin to fly the Progress Pride Flag during the month of June. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again today: raising the Pride Flag above the Wisconsin State Capitol sends a clear, unequivocal, and decisive message that here in Wisconsin, all are welcome. No matter who you are, what you believe, who you love, or how you express your truest, most authentic self, you are family here. You belong here. You are welcome home here,” said Gov. Evers. “Raising the Pride Flag also sends an important reminder people who work in the other wings of this building that this is, in fact, The People’s House. These elected leaders serve at the pleasure of the people of this state—and, yes, that means LGBTQ Wisconsinites, too.  “And finally, raising this flag over the East Wing of the Capitol is a symbol of my resolve—and of my administration’s resolve—to always stand with LGBTQ Wisconsinites—including our trans and gender non-confirming kids, and fight to protect them with every tool and every power that we have. Every day, through both our words and our actions, we will keep working to build a Wisconsin that is more welcoming, more inclusive, and more just for everyone.”  Gov. Evers also proclaimed June 2024 as “LGBTQ Pride Month” throughout the state of Wisconsin. A copy of the governor’s 2024 LGBTQ Pride Month proclamation is available here.  June is recognized as Pride Month in Wisconsin and throughout the United States, which originally began as a recognition of and tribute to the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 and has become an annual, month-long celebration and recognition of the LGBTQ community.   
Gov. Evers ordered the Rainbow Pride Flag to fly over the East Wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol for the first time in state history in 2019. Since then, the Rainbow Pride Flag has flown over the Capitol each year for the month of June until 2022, when Gov. Evers raised the Progress Pride Flag over the State Capitol for the first time. An iteration of the widely recognized Rainbow Pride Flag, the Progress Pride Flag was created to symbolize the inclusion of marginalized communities within the LGBTQ community. The Progress Pride Flag includes additional stripes forming a chevron pattern that represent LGBTQ individuals of color and the transgender community, as well as those who are living with and who have been lost to HIV/AIDS.    The Progress Pride Flag will once again be flown over the East Wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol this year. The Progress Pride Flag will not disrupt other flags that regularly fly over the State Capitol building. The U.S. flag and Wisconsin state flag will continue flying on the East Wing flagpole above the Progress Pride Flag. The POW-MIA flag will continue flying on the North Wing flagpole as it does every day.  Executive Order #229 will be in effect from Fri., May 31, 2024, to sunset on Sun., June 30, 2024, and is available here.