Sacramento, California – A Progress Pride Flag rose outside Sacramento City Hall on Monday morning, marking the city’s opening observance of Pride Month 2026 and continuing a civic tradition that began several years ago.
The June 1 ceremony, held at 11 a.m., brought elected officials, city employees and members of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community together for a public moment centered on visibility, inclusion, equity and belonging.
Organized with involvement from the City of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, the gathering served as both a celebration and a reaffirmation of the city’s support for LGBTQ+ residents and workers.
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In a video shared through the City of Sacramento’s official Facebook page, the event was described as a moment of “celebration and recognition.”
At the center of the ceremony was the Progress Pride Flag, a design that expands on the familiar rainbow banner with a chevron of black, brown, light blue, pink and white stripes. The added colors recognize people of color, transgender people and other marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community.
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The flag’s appearance at City Hall is not a new gesture for Sacramento. In June 2019, the Sacramento City Council approved a resolution directing that the Pride flag be flown at City Hall during Pride Month in support of the LGBTQI community. The first raising followed later that month, with the flag displayed beside Historic City Hall at 915 I Street. At the time, the banner also included colors representing transgender people and people of color, reflecting a broader message of inclusion.
Since then, flag raisings and Pride Month recognitions have become a recurring part of the city’s June calendar, often held in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. In 2023, Sacramento expanded that commitment by directing the Pride flag to be flown during June at city facilities where flags are regularly displayed.
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Monday’s ceremony also carried the larger meaning of Pride Month, which traces its roots to the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, widely recognized as a defining moment in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights. In Sacramento, the raising of the flag offers a visible sign that the city recognizes the community’s history, contributions and continuing pursuit of equality.
The city’s Pride observance will continue later this month. On Tuesday, June 16, at 5 p.m., a formal Pride Month resolution is scheduled to be presented during a Sacramento City Council meeting.
The flag raising may be a familiar annual event, but its purpose remains clear: to place support, recognition and belonging in full public view as Sacramento begins another Pride Month.