In June 2021, Milton officials, including then-Supervisor Benny Zlotnick, flew two pride flags on town property, one outside of town hall and another on a flagpole at Woods Hollow Preserve.
Saratoga Pride volunteer Cindy Swabda says the Woods Hollow flag was torn down multiple times before being put back up — now with a security camera.
“It remained up for the rest of the month of June that year. I went before the town board with others the following year and asked them to put the flag up again, this was a new supervisor and a few new members of the town board. The town board declined that opportunity four-to-one and stated that they would not put up any other flag except the American, the state, the town if they had a flag, and a veteran’s flag,” said Swabda.
The 2022 flag policy resolution blocks all non-governmental flags from being flown on Milton town property, stating it was done to “most fairly and non-discriminatorily decide what flags are flown or not allowed on Town property.”
Shirleyan Ebert owns a property half-a-mile down the road. She has displayed a rainbow flag on her own property and says it was torn down in 2023 and again at the beginning of Pride Month this year.
“I am really tired of so much hatred going on in this world and I was surprised and angry, hence the third set is going up which will be bigger and stronger flags. You know, the LGBTQ community has suffered so much, it’s just time to be a little bit more kind to all people,” said Ebert.
Ebert says she plans on installing three new flagpoles, a pride flag and peace flag will be flown on 20-foot poles, while a 25-foot pole will display the Stars and Stripes.
At a press conference outside Milton town hall Monday, Democratic Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi called the most recent tear-down a hate crime, and called for action from local leaders. Sanghvi is also a candidate for state Senate.
“And tearing down that pride flag isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a public safety issue. Everyone should feel safe in their community, and everyone should feel safe in their homes. When our leaders fail us, they’re failing our children, our friends, and our neighbors, and this is not acceptable. Hate has no place in Milton, hate has no place in Saratoga, and the silence of our current elected officials is unacceptable,” said Sanghvi.
Current Milton Supervisor Scott Ostrander says the town board has no intention of reconsidering its flag policy.
“Well, as you’re well aware, there’s many different community groups now in the town and all over the country. We welcome them all to the town, we don’t discriminate against any of them we just are taking a stance that there’s so many different groups that we don’t want to offend any of those groups, so therefore, that’s why we adopted our flag policy here in the town,” said Ostrander.
Ostrander says the recent vandalism is evidence that some residents are offended by the Pride Flag.
Resident Michele Juda has been speaking at town board meetings in support of flying a pride flag over the past two years, she rejects Ostrander’s stance.
“You know, the refrain tends to be around, ‘we can’t take a side on people’s beliefs, you know this is your belief and other people have different beliefs, and we don’t want to be in the middle of taking sides.’ This is not a belief; this is who people are. This is not about supporting a life style, which is another thing that will be echoed. It is not a lifestyle, it is not a belief, it is who people are. And these people are our neighbors and they deserve to feel welcome and seen in our community,” said Judah.
The nearby city of Glens Falls recently changed its flag policy and has flown the Pride Flag throughout the month of June.