BELCHERTOWN, Mass. - As Pride Month is set to being Thusday, a Pride flag at Belchertown High School will be staying in place. Earlier this school year, a school parent complained to the school committee about the flag being on display.

School Committee chair Heidi Gutekenst said a meeting was held with shortly afterward where the town had the opportunity to hear from both sides before a vote was held on whether to keep it up or take it down.

Spectrum News 1 spoke with some of the students who support having the flag and made their voices heard at the meeting.

"It's just shocking to see, because it stands for acceptance of everyone and people just want to twist it because they simply don't agree with the lifestyle," said Ori Sussman. "And I think, it's not just a lifestyle you can choose. It's something you're born as and so I think it's just appalling to see people rejecting it and saying it's bad."

Gutekenst said around two dozen students and around 10 parents were present at the meeting in support of the flag, with at least a dozen students speaking during the event.

Diyath Navaratne, a junior who was also there, said his experience at Belchertown High has been life changing.

"I came here a year ago from Sri Lanka," Navaratne said. "So back where I was, it was illegal to be a part of the LGBTQ community and I could've actually been put to jail if they figured out I was a part of it. So coming here, I was invited by this welcoming community and it was amazing."

Navarante said the support has been felt especially through faculty and staff.

"In my experience, from what I've seen in the school, I have not been marginalized," he said. "I have not been pulled out or I have never been bullied or anything for being who I was, and that was an amazing experience for me. So I believe that this community, the teachers especially, are very supportive of us."

The parent who complained about the flag said he thought more groups should be allowed to fly flags.

For the students, they want people to know the flag is not political, nor it is meant to divide others. 

"The pride flag means that you're safe if you're part of the community," Emma Piedade said. "Wherever you are, if that flag is up and whoever is there will protect you, and you're accepted no matter what."

"It does not mean aggression towards heterosexuals or cisgendered people," Nora Dyer-Murphy said. "It just means a celebration of marginalized LGBTQ people."