After A Unanimous Vote, the PRIDE Flag Flies In Front Of Sleepy Hollow Village Hall

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Mayor Martin Rutyna helps raise the PRIDE flag on the pole outside Sleepy Hollow Village Hall, as residents look on and applaud.

June 15, 2024

By Solace Church–

A crowd of Sleepy Hollow residents gathered outside Village Hall Friday afternoon to watch the raising of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag after trustees unanimously voted to fly it beneath the American flag for the remainder of June.

Although two residents voiced disapproval of the board’s resolution, the overwhelming public response following the vote was appreciative and celebratory. The Board received 110 emails in total regarding the issue, only eight of which expressed opposition. “Thank you for listening,” said one attendee. “This is history in the making, but with more to come. This really represents the inclusivity that we want in this village.”

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Mayor Martin Rutyna called the resolution “a step in the right direction,” though he agreed with other trustees that the village’s flag policy should be inclusive of other flags, too. The strongest expression of dissent–which was more about process than substance–came from Deputy Mayor Denise Scaglione. “While I’m not comfortable [with this] as a policy, I know it’s an important issue to all of you,” she said to the audience. Though she joined others in the unanimous vote, she stated “for the record” that “a more thorough and comprehensive flag policy should have been explored and deliberated.”

Her complaint, echoed the dispute on Tuesday night, that Connell’s original proposal, which she called “unprofessional” had put the rest of the board “on the spot.”

Sleepy Hollow trustees deliberate over the flag issue at a special session June 14th.

Trustees Connell and James Husselbee, who expressed opposing views at Tuesday’s meeting, worked closely with one another before the final vote to include language clarifying that the American flag must be flown higher and more prominently than other flags, a stipulation that was not included in Connell’s original proposal.

Trustee Patrick Sheeran, who was absent for Friday’s vote, sent a message expressing his support for the resolution. Thus the motion to fly the PRIDE flag in front of village hall was adopted unanimously.

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