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Residents criticize council over National Day of Prayer proclamation, say Pride recognition was denied
Summary
Several residents told the Battle Ground City Council on May 11 that the mayor and council have treated proclamations inconsistently, praising a National Day of Prayer proclamation while denying a Pride/Trans visibility proclamation in a prior meeting; speakers urged clearer, transparent criteria and flagged potential ethics concerns.
Mayor Eric Overholzer read a proclamation designating a National Day of Prayer this evening, and Deacon Becky Manning of Northwest Gospel Church accepted the recognition on behalf of faith communities.
During the public-comment period, multiple residents said that a recent refusal to adopt a Pride- or Trans-visibility proclamation—combined with the council’s passage of a prayer proclamation—amounts to unequal treatment. "It was very noticeable to me that the prayer proclamation very closely follows the structure and wording of the Pride Proclamation from last year that I worked on with others," resident Jessica Cole told the council, and she urged consistent application of values such as "equal rights for all." Cole also raised a separate concern that a mayoral comment in a prior meeting about a specific local gym could create the appearance of favoritism.
Other speakers were more direct in their criticism. "You are using the city's power to signal that only one kind of person belongs here," resident Missy Pam told the council, saying proclamations have been used in the past to marginalize queer residents and that recent reporting connected local business influence to political decisions. Simon, another resident who identified himself only by first name, said, "Visibility is not controversial. Existence is not political," and asked the council to explain the criteria it uses to approve proclamations.
Fia Marie, who introduced themself as "your resident everyday anti-fascist trans punk rock anarchist parent," delivered a provocative spoken 'prayer' sharply critical of police and local officials; the remarks ended the public-comment block and were acknowledged by the mayor with a curt "Thank you."
Council members did not take formal action during the public-comment period. Several council members later signaled openness to a governance discussion: Council Member Ferrer requested that a future agenda include an invocation-policy discussion; the council agreed to place that item on a future meeting or study-session agenda. The meeting adjourned with no vote on proclamation policy; the council’s next regular session is May 18, 2026.
