Chamber proud of Pride flags

With the month of Pride starting last week, local organizations have joined in on the message of unity.

The Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce “has long recognized the importance of supporting community and business owners working together to provide a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for all who visit our beautiful hamlet,” according to president emeritus, Eileen Tyznar.

“We feel by displaying the Pride flags, we are recognizing the large population of the gay community that support the shops, restaurants, and businesses in our town. Welcoming visitors from as far as Manhattan all summer long to Fire Island, Cherry Grove, and The Pines communities at the same time as showing support for our gay community that call Sayville and West Sayville their home, is important to us,” said Tyznar.

In past years, trucks and tractor-trailers had collided with the Pride flags. To combat this issue, there will be a three-finger stuck flag bracket with three smaller flags that will be placed on the black lampposts all down Railroad Avenue, with larger flags remaining on the Four Corners of Main Street.

“Although not everyone understands the reasons to which Pride and the flags even started in Sayville, even before President Clinton deemed June Pride Month, most of our community look forward to the flags and are very supportive of the flags.  I am personally excited to place them up with our vice president Chris Olsen. It is sometimes scary at night with drivers’ inattentiveness when he and I go up on the ladders to install all the  flags—American flags and the Pride flags—every year, but both he and I like to personally make everyone feel welcomed in our town as they drive down Railroad Avenue. It can be the sight of the beautiful rainbow colors that can actually make a difference in one person’s life,” said Tyznar.