by Neil W. McCabe

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will host a ceremony to honor Gay Pride Day on Saturday at 9 a.m. on the City Hall Concourse, when he will raise the Gay Pride flag.

For the past several years the flag has been raised in Davis Square but Curtatone decided to move the event to City Hall this year, the mayor said.

“By raising it on the concourse, we send a clear signal that everyone is welcome in our community, no matter their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation,” said Curtatone.

“Now more than ever it is essential for Somerville to celebrate its diversity and to recognize the rights of all citizens,” he said.

The event will feature remarks by Curtatone and other community leaders and elected officials, including members of the city’s Beacon Hill delegation State Sen. Jarrett T. Barrios, State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino Jr., State Rep. Patricia D. Jehlen, State Rep. Timothy J. Toomey, and members of the Board of Aldermen and the School Committee will attend, he said.

Curtatone said all members of the community are encouraged to attend.