The rainbow flag raised in City Hall to celebrate LGBT History Month in Philadelphia this month, waved half-mast yesterday in honor of Gloria Casarez, the director of the city office of LGBT affairs, who died Sunday, at age 42, after a long battle with breast cancer.

During the flag lowering ceremony, Mayor Michael Nutter, who said he didn’t want to wait for the official funeral service, expressed his condolences, shared some stories, officiated a minute of silence, and read Psalm 23 of the Bible while standing next to photos of Casarez.

There’s is also a Mexican flag by her photo — in honor of her heritage — that shows the typical eagle devouring a snake perched on an prickly pear cactus, but the traditional green and red blocks have been replaced with the colors of the rainbow.

“We are dealing with a great deal of pain, as a city, as a people, as a government, as a group of folks who had an incredible opportunity to work with a very special person,” Nutter said to the crowd that gathered in just one hour after his press office made the announcement of the ceremony.

For Nutter, the northeast part of Dilworth Plaza is a special place in which Casarez and he have been raising the rainbow flag for the past five years. The city started officially recognizing LGBT month in 2008, when Casarez was made director.   

Last time the flag was raised, Casarez was struggling with her health but demanded to participate and do her part in the ceremony.

“So I thought it was appropriate and right that we would be at the place where many of us really saw her for the last time, and saw her doing what she wanted to do, which is celebrating the LGBT community, and fighting for people’s rights,” Nutter said.

As director of the city’s LGBT Office, Casarez developed priorities and policy for the administration in a wide range of areas, including health, city services, civil rights, public safety and education.

In 2012, the city garnered a second place national ranking in LGBT equality by Human Rights Campaign.

Philadelphia was the highest ranking among the nation’s 10 largest cities and the highest scoring city in states, at that time, without statewide legal protections for LGBT people or marriage equality.

“I’ll never forget the joy in her voice back when the court made the decision with regard to DOMA. She was so excited, and even in her sickness you could really hear the joy and the sense of accomplishment for what that meant to a whole lot of people,” Nutter said, adding that Casarez had already gotten married to Tricia Dressel in New York.

With regards to the future of the LGBT affairs office, the mayor said he hasn’t give it a thought because his commitment to the LGBT community is assured.

“What we’re gonna do is respect our friend and think about our friend, and make sure we never forget our friend,” Nutter said.

Casarez, was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Kensington. She was a graduate of West Chester University with degrees in criminal justice and political science.

She was a founding member and community organizer of Empty the Shelters, a national housing rights and economic justice organization.

She was later a coordinator for the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania and then executive director of GALAEI in Philadelphia.

During her career, Casarez was recognized by various organizations for her work, including the NAACP, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and Philadelphia FIGHT.