Washington State Patrol officials have apologized for interrupting a Pride flag raising ceremony held on the steps of Washington's legislative building in Olympia on Wednesday.
The disruption lasted about two minutes. It made for a tense moment during what was otherwise a celebratory day for both the graduating cadets, and LGBTQ people and advocates who were there to celebrate Pride.
A graduating class of about 50 cadets marched through a crowd of people who were listening to a speech before the rainbow flag was hoisted in the air. It caused a brief spat between a person there to celebrate Pride and another person who was there for the graduation ceremony.
The Washington State LGBTQ Commission organizes the annual raising of the Pride flag around the beginning of June to kick off Pride month. The Washington State Patrol also typically holds a graduation ceremony inside the legislative building around the same time each year. During the graduation ceremony, Washington State Patrol Academy Capt. Rob Sharpe immediately apologized to both crowds for the unusual clash, explaining it as the result of a miscommunication.
In a statement on social media, the agency clarified that the team leading the cadets to the building did not communicate an alternate route planned around the flag-raising crowd. WSP said that it was not the agency’s intent to disrupt an important community event.
"Our motto is 'Service with Humility,' and our mission is to protect, defend and respect the rights of all. We apologize for our misstep on what should be a great day for us all as we celebrate Pride," the statement read.
Lisa Keating, executive director of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, said she felt the apology was sincere and that WSP took ownership of what happened. But, she said, she couldn't answer whether it was enough for the people who were forced to move out of the way of the marching cadets.
"I don't feel like I can say what is enough, because I know there were people that left because they were afraid. Because that really was a frightening experience," Keating said.
She said people who came to watch the Pride flag being raised on Wednesday have told her the incident reinforced the fraught relationship between police and queer people.
"The impact is really unfortunate, and it's real," Keating told KNKX. "And I hope it provides an opportunity to continue to elevate and educate Washington State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies to understand the relationship and the history between the queer community."
Pride month is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising in 1969. The demonstrations came in response to police raids of gay bars in New York City.
More recent actions by the Trump administration targeting LGBTQ rights and history were on the minds of speakers at the ceremony in Olympia on Wednesday. In particular, some referenced actions and rhetoric around the erasure of non-binary and transgender people.
When the cadets came through, Kaity Cazares was at the podium. Cazares, who works with the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, was talking about how the commission’s training on pronouns helped them come out as transgender.
“That space gave me clarity, language and safety to begin my own gender identity,” Cazares said, before the interruption.
State officials and advocates talked about the importance of standing up with marginalized populations.
State Commissioner of Public Lands and former legislator, Dave Upthegrove, spoke to the large crowd about his experience as the first out gay person to hold statewide elected office.
"When I started in the legislature, LGBTQ families had no legal recognition, and over time we changed that," he said. "And thanks to the voters affirming it in 20-12, we have full marriage equality. And in 2013, I was able to marry the love of my life."
Upthegrove said the state has come a long way, but more needs to be done especially in light of what's happening at the federal level.
"We need to speak up and be visible," he said. "Young people need to see themselves in their leaders. Those of us who have privilege and opportunity need to use that to support those coming behind us."
Gov. Bob Ferguson said the speeches were a call to action, and that state government has an obligation to fight for its residents.
"And one thing that I appreciate about all the speakers is emphasizing it's not time to back away from that struggle," he said. "It's exactly the opposite. It's time to lean into it: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion — those are our values as a state."
Instead of raising the flag himself, Ferguson asked those in attendance to take turns hoisting the rainbow flag up the flagpole.
