Cambridge mayor speaks out after Pride flag ceremony incident
Posted Jun 5, 2026 05:44:09 PM.
Last Updated Jun 8, 2026 12:05:39 PM.
After a controversial incident at a Pride flag ceremony in Cambridge, Mayor Jan Liggett is giving her side of the events.
A video circulated online earlier this week of Cambridge’s mayor cutting off a speech from a teen at the city’s Pride flag event.
Sophie Mills, 17, who is non-binary, was delivering the speech and began referencing a controversial meme reposted by Cambridge Councillor Adam Cooper. A meme many in the 2SLGBTQ+ community deemed offensive.
In a video posted to the Mayor of Cambridge Facebook page, Liggett claims the initial speech they expected to be read at the event ended up being changed at the last minute.
That prompted her decision to cut the speech short.
“As Mayor, I have a responsibility to maintain an environment that is welcoming and appropriate for all participants. To maintain a respectful and safe environment. Allowing personal attacks on individuals by looking the other way is not consistent with my responsibilities,” said Liggett.
In a statement to 570 NewsRadio, Liggett added, “If they had spoken to the staff person in charge and said their intent was to no longer read the intended speech, then the staff person would have worked with them and all of this could have been avoided.”
Ligget claims that since the incident, death threats have been made to city staff.
“Our office has been receiving accusations, harassing calls and emails, death threats and threats to family members and staff,” Liggett said. “Death threats to family members and staff is not cool. Not cool at all. The very people that are accusing us of not being kind are not being kind themselves.”
The mayor was also accused of misgendering Mills and said in her video response that using they/them pronouns was not part of her usual vocabulary, noting that to err is human.
Cambridge councillor and candidate for mayor, Scott Hamilton released a statement on the incident as well.
“This week, many people watched a young person from Cambridge stand up and share their lived experience, only to have their remarks censored,” Hamilton said. “This should never have happened. I strongly condemn the actions taken by Mayor Liggett during the pride flag raising ceremony.”
