Rotary Club, gay pride groups only 2 applying to fly their flags at Village Rotary Green in Buffalo Grove – Chicago Tribune

Special interest groups had until Nov. 1 to apply to the village of Buffalo Grove to have their choice flag flown at Village Rotary Green next year, and officials said only two applications were received.

According to the village’s application process, special flags could include ones paying homage to a heritage month and other countries, or supporting public awareness or social justice initiatives.

The flags will not be flown at Village Hall.

The village received just two applications to display special flags in 2023 — one for the Rotary Club to be displayed during the month of February and one for gay pride month in June, according to Molly Gillespie, the village’s director of communications and community engagement.

The applications will be presented to the Village Board for consideration at the Dec. 5 board meeting, she said, adding there is no limit to the number of requests that can be considered or approved.

Both flags were approved last year by the Village Board, with the Rotary Club flag flown in February and the gay pride flag flown in June, both at Village Rotary Green. However, village officials said no application was received requesting to fly the Juneteenth Flag on June 19, as the village did at Rotary Green last year.

The application process to fly special interest flags in the village stemmed from 2021 efforts by members of the LBGTQ community who encouraged village trustees to consider flying the rainbow-colored pride flag. The application was submitted by BG Pride, the nonprofit organization that organizes and hosts the annual Buffalo Grove Pride Parade in the village.

Requiring an application was a compromise, trustees said at the time, that would support special interest groups while not putting the village in a challenging position by making a statement on government property.

“I know it seems like such a small thing raising a flag, but it’s such symbolism we want in this community which is love over hate,” Carolyn Pinta said in 2021 after hosting the village’s third annual gay pride parade with her husband, Bob, and in support of their daughter’s wish.

Trustees agreed that only the American, state of Illinois and Buffalo Grove village flags would be flown at Village Hall.

Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.

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