Saint Louis Park council issues proclamations for Transgender Day of Remembrance, Small Business Saturday and Ask Day; resident urges parents to ‘ask’ about gun

The Saint Louis Park City Council read three proclamations and heard public comment during its Nov. 17, 2025 meeting.

Council Member Baldwin read a proclamation recognizing Nov. 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance, saying the city stands against discrimination and highlighting the work of the city’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. The proclamation in the meeting record states that the Minnesota legislative session saw the introduction of bills described as negatively affecting transgender rights; the proclamation framed those bills as contributing to a climate of increased risk for transgender and gender-expansive people.

Council Member Dumalag read a proclamation declaring Nov. 29, 2025, as Small Business Saturday in Saint Louis Park. The proclamation cites statistics attributed to the U.S. Small Business Administration to underline the local economic importance of independent retailers and restaurants; the numbers appear in the printed proclamation text but several numeric items in the reading were garbled in the spoken record and are not repeated here as exact figures.

Council Member Budd read the Ask Day proclamation (Ask Day is annually observed on June 21), which encourages parents to ask one safety question—“Is there an unlocked gun in your home?”—before sending children to another home. The proclamation notes the city provides free gun locks through the library and police department and cites national and local prevention efforts.

Kristen King Stapleton, who identified herself as a Saint Louis Park resident of nearly 30 years, told a three-minute anecdote about calling the parent of a teen hosting a party decades ago to ask about guns and urged parents and schools to bring the Ask question into regular use. “Asking saves kids,” Stapleton said, recounting both the relief she felt at the time and the changed risk environment given more recent local shootings referenced in her remarks.

Council members thanked Stapleton and recorded the proclamations into the meeting record. The council’s remarks emphasized the city’s support for inclusive workplaces, community protections for transgender residents, and encouragement to shop local for Small Business Saturday.

Next steps: The proclamations are ceremonial actions entered into the public record; the meeting record includes no ordinance or regulatory change tied to the proclamations.