Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civil Rights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Redlands council rejects proposal to fly Pride flag after hours of public comment
Summary
After more than three hours of public testimony, the Redlands City Council voted 3-2 against amending the city'flag policy to allow the Pride/Progress flag to be flown from the municipal flagpole during June; supporters said the flag signals safety for LGBTQ residents, opponents said city flagpoles should remain neutral.
Councilmember Davis moved to amend Redlands'flag policy to authorize flying the Pride (Progress) flag during June; the proposal drew a sustained, emotional public-comment period and a lengthy council debate before failing on a 3-2 roll call.
"It is a small gesture that can mean the world to people deciding where to live," Councilmember Davis said when she introduced the resolution to amend policy and permit the flag. Supporters argued the flag would send a visible message of safety and inclusion for LGBTQ residents, especially youth.
Multiple speakers told the council the symbol matters in ways that transcend partisan politics. "The pride flag is a symbol of acceptance and inclusion," social worker Wendy Ingram said, urging the council to vote for the change. Students, nonprofit staff and university representatives described local incidents of harassment and cited research on elevated suicide risk among LGBTQ youth.
Opponents framed the issue as a question of government neutrality. "This city hall is supposed to be for all of us," said Gregory Britton, who warned that flying a special-interest flag would favor one group over others. Several speakers raised legal and policy concerns, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Shurtleff v. Boston as background to arguments about allowing other flags.
City Attorney advised the council that the flagpole had been reserved for government speech under the current policy and that a change would be within the council's authority. Proponents pointed to practices in nearby jurisdictions that permit rotating or celebratory flags; opponents said a formal policy change could require the city to accommodate many competing flag requests.
After discussion, the motion to adopt Resolution 8602 to amend the city's flag policy failed on roll call (Yes: Davis, Guzman Lowery; No: Salcedo, Mayor Pro Tem Berridge, Mayor Tejeda). The mayor and several council members said they were mindful of competing community views and legal implications, but ultimately concluded the policy should remain unchanged at this time.
The council did, earlier in the meeting, issue a proclamation recognizing Pride Month and presented it to a local volunteer group. The failed resolution leaves existing practice unchanged: the city will continue following the current flag policy for government speech unless council votes otherwise in the future.
The council returned to other agenda items after the vote; no additional action on the flag policy was taken tonight.
