First openly gay man elected governor marks Pride with flag at state capitol

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), the first openly gay man to be elected governor in the U.S., celebrated Pride Month by hanging an LGBTQ flag outside the state capitol Friday. 

The Pride Flag is on display this weekend at our Colorado State Capitol. I’m so proud to be the governor of a state that celebrates diversity and love. pic.twitter.com/e2OF4wkAyA

— Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 14, 2019

Polis also used his personal Twitter account to share a Pride celebration earlier this month. 

High five for Pride Month ✋ ️‍
High fives were invented by gay Major League Baseball player Glenn Burke in 1977!

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) June 3, 2019

{mosads}Polis marked the beginning of Pride Month in Colorado on May 31 with a signing ceremony approving legislation to officially ban conversion therapy in the state. The legislation prohibits physicians or people specializing in psychiatry from efforts “to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”

On the steps of the state capitol building, he told supporters he was excited to ban what he called a “torturous practice.”

The five-term congressman was sworn into office in January after defeating Republican Walker Stapleton.