Nonprofit distributes pride flags ahead of Transgender Awareness Week
Nov 10, 2024, 5:35 PM | Updated: 10:36 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Several volunteers showed up in downtown Salt Lake City early Sunday morning to help nonprofit Project Rainbow carry more than 800 pride flags up and out of their basement office to help distribute this week ahead of Transgender Awareness Week.
Project Rainbow Utah has been hosting flag-staking campaigns across the state.
“This campaign, we’re up 24% from last year,” said Jacey Thomas, executive director.
Thornton said dozens of volunteers are working on distributing 1,114 flags across northern Utah. The nonprofit is also partnering with Mosaic Bookstore in Provo, Ogden Pride and Logan Pride.
Volunteers then drove one by one putting multiple transgender pride flags in their cars and went off to stake them up outside of homes across the Salt Lake Valley. (KSL TV)
Help of volunteers
“We’re looking at around 200 volunteers just posting flags up,” Thornton said. “That’s just here in Salt Lake.”
Volunteers then drove one by one putting multiple transgender pride flags in their cars and went off to stake them up outside of homes across the Salt Lake Valley.
One of those volunteers is Daren Haws who has been volunteering for the past two to three years.
“Usually my son, and I come out and do these together,” he said.
Daren Haws has been volunteering for the past two to three years. (KSL TV)
Haws’ son is transgender adding that volunteering to stake flags has been a small way to show his support.
“It’s a great sign, particularly for those kids in the youth who maybe are coming out and are new to this community or families who are new to the community just to see that they’re not alone,” he said. “There’s love and there’s support around and that we’re all just people who want the same things. And so just there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
As for the rest of the week, Thornton said Project Rainbow will be hosting multiple events to promote awareness which include “a day of economic empowerment,” a job fair of sorts with workshops for those who attend. The group will end the week with a rally at the state Capitol.
“That’s what we provide is a really easy access entryway to show support for people to become civically engaged because they’ve come here, they’ve come to our rallies, and they want to take that next step,” Thornton said.
To sign up for upcoming flag campaigns, click here.
