The Pride banner at the Lab has a long history, going back to 1999 and the start of the Lambda Alliance at the Lab. Several times the banner was removed by unknown persons, but when that happened, Lab leadership spoke out. Read about the history of the banner and why it is different this year.

Lambda Alliance first formed in October 2013 as an employee resource group (ERG) to enhance the work environment at the Lab for Sexual-orientation and Gender Minority (SGM) employees. This ERG continues to promote an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, enhance policies of non-discrimination, create guidance for institutional processes, identify and address emerging issues or challenges, increase visibility and awareness, and recognize achievements impacting our SGM community.

However, the raising of the rainbow-colored Pride banner in celebration of Pride Month started as early as 1999 by the LGBTQ employee association. And unfortunately it was not welcomed by some. The Pride banner that was displayed outside Building 65 was taken down at least twice by Lab employees, who expressed concerns with the Lab flying the rainbow flag at the entry.

In response to these unwelcoming actions, Lab leadership sent messages to all Lab employees reinforcing the importance of an inclusive environment.

These notes were laminated and flown with the flag attached at the corner. The 2012 memo by Deputy Lab Director Horst Simon was added as a measure to showcase Lab management’s support of prominently displaying the flag in celebration of Pride Month.

To this day, the raising and lowering of the Pride banner has been an honored tradition to mark and celebrate Pride Month. And this year brings new changes as the new Lambda Alliance banner features more than the rainbow-colored flag.

During this year’s banner-raising virtual ceremony, Chief Diversity Officer Lady Idos noted: “This year’s theme for San Francisco Pride is ‘All in this Together.’ Given all of the challenges that we’ve been through in the past year, as a nation and a global community, the theme of unity and solidarity is appropriate. ‘All in this Together’ means all of us - including the LGBTQIA+ community, National Lab pride, and all of our allies - coming together and drawing strength from our collective efforts to impact change each and every day.”

As such, this year’s banner features more than the rainbow-colored flag. This design is comprised of over 20 different Pride flags, each representing a different SGM group including, but not limited to, transgender, intersex, genderqueer, two-spirit, aromantic, and polysexual peoples. You can learn more about the Lambda Alliance banner design here.

And this June, for the first time in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) history, pride flags were raised at headquarters in Washington, DC and Germantown, MD. In a fitting moment of solidarity and allyship, the Lab also raised the Progress Pride Flag, the same one flown by DOE, high upon the flagpoles outside of Building 65.

To learn more, join in on Berkeley Lab's Pride 2021 events, including a poster session, float crafternoons, and more.