Carmel City Council declared June as Pride Month in the city for the first time. City Councilman Miles Nelson read the document, saying Carmel "is a community that aspires to be a place that allows everyone to thrive, prosper and enjoy a high quality of life."
Carmel is a place of tolerance, understanding and mutual respect, the proclamation says.
The Pride Month declaration affirms Carmel as a tolerant, open place to live, Nelson said. “You want to make sure that the message, the billboard for the city says, ‘All are welcome,’” Nelson said. ”All can come to a place, build a career, raise a family and thrive and not have to hide.”
Nelson, is the only Democrat on the Carmel City Council, and worked on the wording of the proclamation with Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, according to the Indy Star.
“We were asked to do it,” Mayor Brainard, a Republican, said. “It’s appropriate because we as a community want to exemplify the best of our American tradition, of welcoming everyone.
"It’s also important for our business community, as they recruit across the globe, that prospective employees understand that Carmel is a welcoming, inclusive place to live and work and raise a family,” Brainard said.