Lake Worth Beach, a city known for its small-town arts persona, has traditionally flown only two flags alongside the U.S. flag: the LGBTQIA+ pride and Haitian flags — as city symbols of cultural inclusion during PRIDE and Haitian Heritage Month.
That changed on July 1 when the commission quietly voted 4-1 against raising the Haitian flag, citing First Amendment concerns raised by Commissioner Anthony Segrich. The city had celebrated it in May with student photos and a mayoral speech.
The lack of wide public input made the city’s decision especially confusing for supporters, turning the debate over which flags may be flown outside public buildings into a political flashpoint amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE…