Montgomery County to Distribute Free Pride Decals to Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 2, 2024

Montgomery County is distributing free LGBTQ+ pride decals to interested businesses and nonprofits operating storefronts. The decals were created through the “Show Your Pride!” design contest held last summer to show public support for Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ communities.

Volunteers are distributing the window decals, along with information about their significance and local LGBTQ+ resources and events. The decals contain QR codes and a link to MontgomeryCountyPride.org, where information about local LGBTQ+ events, resources and other helpful information can be found.

“These decals are a symbol of who we are as a community—everyone is welcome here, and there is no place for hate,” said County Executive Marc Elrich.  “I encourage businesses to order them for their places of business and display them proudly.”

The winners of the Show Your Pride! LGBTQ+ decal contest were Bethesda resident Vinnie Yankowski (he/they) and former Silver Spring resident David Spengeler (he/him). Their respective decals are pictured below.

Businesses or organizations that would like decals for their storefronts should visit montgomerycountypride.org/moco-pride-decals. Groups or networks representing multiple businesses or tenants should contact Amena Johnson, Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ liaison, at [email protected] to request a larger drop-off.

According to a recent survey of LGBTQIA+ Montgomery County residents, most respondents feel safe and welcome in the community, but 40 percent have experienced some kind of discrimination in the past year. As anti-LGBTQIA+ bias grows across the United States and harmful anti-trans rhetoric abounds, creating visibly safe spaces in our county is more important than ever.

# # #

 

Release ID: 24-212
Media Contact: Amena Johnson
Categories: Health