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Residents urge safety and support ahead of Newton’s Rainbow Celebration during extended public comment
Summary
Dozens of speakers during the public-comment period urged the council to support safety and inclusion for the first Pride/Rainbow Celebration in Newton (June 23–29; festival June 28); speakers also expressed opposing views and called for prayer or different approaches. Comments focused on safety, mental health, and community unity.
A large and sustained public-comment period at the May 6 Newton City Council meeting centered on the city’s planned Pride/Rainbow Celebration (June 23–29, festival on June 28), with numerous residents and nonresidents urging the council to denounce hate, support LGBTQ+ residents and ensure public safety, while other speakers expressed opposition or framed the issue in religious terms.
MacGregor VanBeurden, speaking as a resident, described the Rainbow Celebration as an effort to bring awareness and visibility and called for community unity against threatening rhetoric. "The celebration is June 23-29, with the festival to be held on the 28th," VanBeurden said, and urged denouncing hate.
Multiple speakers echoed calls for safety and support. Kim Eader, a resident, said public safety concerns stem from council members’ posts and that prejudice is rooted in ignorance, while Kim Bost, a nonresident, cited higher suicide risk for LGBTQ youth and asked Council Member Jon McClure to be open-minded. "Children need support," Bost said.
Several speakers appealed to faith or called for prayer. Mark Ivey, pastor of Christ Alive, said meetings should invite God into the discussion and framed his remarks around faith rather than hate. Others, including Jesse Alden, thanked the police and veterans and posed broader community questions.
Speakers also raised other local issues during public comment, including maintenance of city-owned property (Porscia Pierce requested trimming debris removal on E. 5th St.), splash pad fees at other towns, and calls for the council to address sidewalks and power lines.
Mayor Jerry Hodge thanked everyone who came to speak. The council did not take formal action on the issues raised during the public-comment period during the May 6 meeting; several speakers asked for explicit council support or policy changes ahead of the June events.
