Edmonton made an ultra-classy Olympic move Friday when officials decided to fly a rainbow flag outside City Hall.
"The City of Edmonton took this action in solidarity with other Canadian cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and St. John’s," stated a press release about the international symbol for gay pride.
The flags are being flown to protest Russia's anti-gay laws.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson worked quickly to get the flag up, tweeting last night that he was on a mission.
“It shows solidarity with our LGBT communities,” Iveson told the Edmonton Journal. “In Canada, diversity and embracing our different communities is very important to us.
“It’s just a message that … communities are sending out across the country, and Edmonton is going to be part of that.”
Many Edmontonians were proud of their city's decision to fly the flag (and glad not to be Toronto, whose mayor called for the rainbow flag on the roof of city hall Friday to be taken down.)
The flag will fly on the community pole on the southwest side of the plaza in front of City Hall for the duration of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Calgary Coun. Druh Farrell said Calgary would hoist a flag of their own outside city hall, despite earlier reports to the contrary.
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