The removal of a painted Pride flag from the steps of West Orange Town Hall has touched off an outcry from advocates and residents, who say the move sent the wrong message just ahead of Pride Month. The steps had long been a visible symbol of inclusion in the community, and their sudden clearing has left supporters questioning the decision and its timing.
The steps outside West Orange Town Hall once featured a painted Pride flag that had been there for years. Now the colorful display is gone, stripped from a spot where it had become a familiar fixture. For many in the community, the disappearance of the flag marked the loss of more than just paint on a staircase.
Word of the removal reached residents weeks before the celebration of Pride. About a month and a half ago, the community learned that the Pride stairs had been power washed and the display taken away. The reaction was one of disbelief, with people asking how a symbol that had been there for four years could be washed away right before Pride.
Advocates with Garden State Equality said the removal hurt members of the LGBTQ community. They argued that taking away the display carried a meaning well beyond the physical act, framing it as a signal about how the community's presence was valued. The group placed the decision at the center of a broader conversation about inclusion in the township.
According to those advocates, the message sent by the removal was stark. It really sent a big message to the LGBTQ community, they said, that symbolism was negotiable in West Orange and that inclusivity no longer lived there. The wording captured the sense of hurt felt by supporters who had seen the painted steps as a public affirmation.
Since the display was removed, residents and supporters have gathered to speak out. Their objections have been voiced in several settings, including at town hall meetings, where community members pressed officials over how and why the steps were cleared. The gatherings turned a quiet removal into a public dispute over the township's commitment to inclusion.
For critics, the manner of the removal was as troubling as the act itself. There was no compassionate governance nor transparent communication in the removal of the stairs weeks before the beginning of the Pride season, one advocate said. As Pride approaches, the controversy has left West Orange grappling with questions about the symbol it chose to erase and the way it did so.