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Lake County Pride urges Leesburg commission to restore Pride proclamation; opposing resident defends decision
Summary
At the June 8 Leesburg City Commission meeting, Trisha Nickelson of Lake County Pride urged the commission to restore a removed Pride proclamation, saying its removal undermines safety and equal dignity; a resident, Paul Harsh, defended the commission’s decision and framed his opposition in religious terms.
Trisha Nickelson, vice president of Lake County Pride, asked the Leesburg City Commission to restore a Pride proclamation that she said was removed from the agenda, calling the action “a betrayal” of the city’s duty to protect LGBTQIA residents and visitors. She requested a clear, fact-based justification and said removing proclamations “based on a council member’s religious or political beliefs is completely inappropriate.”
The request came during the meeting’s public-comment period, where Nickelson said reinstating the proclamation would restore trust and “a sense of safety” for community members. “Proclamations must be judged on merit, not beliefs,” she told the commission.
In a second public comment, Paul Harsh, a resident and property owner, said he supported the commission’s decision not to place the proclamation on the agenda. Speaking as a Christian, Harsh said the Bible guides his view that certain behaviors are sinful but emphasized he still loves people who identify as homosexual. “I believe the decision you made was a just one,” he said.
The commission did not discuss public comments at length during the meeting; staff said public remarks would be referred to appropriate staff for follow-up or scheduled for a future meeting when applicable. The Pride proclamation issue was not resolved on June 8 and may appear again on a future agenda.
