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Battle Ground mayor proclaims Pride Month; residents and speakers urge continued protection for LGBTQ community
Summary
Mayor Troy McCoy issued a proclamation recognizing June 2025 as Pride Month; speakers at city hall praised the proclamation and urged ongoing support while some council history and prior votes were referenced during public comment.
Mayor Troy McCoy proclaimed June 2025 as Pride Month at the Battle Ground City Council meeting on June 16, saying the proclamation affirms the city’s support for inclusion and visibility.
Jessica Cole, representing the local nonprofit Evoke Cascadia, accepted the proclamation and thanked the mayor and council members who supported the item. "This proclamation affirms the work and the community that it serves," Cole told the council, and she urged queer residents and allies to join upcoming activities.
Multiple residents used the citizens’ comment period to welcome the proclamation and to press council for continued protection of LGBTQ residents. Simon, a Battle Ground resident, said the council’s earlier votes to remove or restrict proclamations had made some community members feel unsafe and invisible; he described the proclamation as an important statement of belonging. Edie Lemonye, who identified herself as a heterosexual ally, cited data from The Trevor Project on elevated suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth and said official recognition and support can reduce harm.
Other speakers framed the proclamation as an important, symbolic step but said more action is needed. Theo, who identified as transgender, called for continued resistance to policies and rhetoric he described as dehumanizing and said the community must be prepared to "push back." Ally and David Terry, both residents, thanked the mayor and council for the proclamation and said the recognition helps LGBTQ people feel safer in the city.
Mayor McCoy read a proclamation that referenced the 1969 Stonewall events and affirmed the city’s intent to stand against discrimination. Cole thanked council members McCoy, Bowman and DeRozier for consistent support and also noted the council had recently voted to return the mayor’s authority to issue proclamations after earlier procedural changes.
The proclamation was presented as a ceremonial action by the mayor; the council did not take a roll-call vote to adopt it as an ordinance or formal policy.
