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Residents urge Mariposa supervisors to proclaim June 'Bridal/Pride Month'; board hears mixed public testimony
Summary
About two dozen residents and representatives petitioned the board to recognize June as a month affirming LGBTQ+ residents and visitors; speakers described harassment, threats and intention to present ~597 signatures. Some residents opposed the proclamation as unnecessary; board took no immediate action during the public comment period.
Dozens of Mariposa County residents asked the Board of Supervisors on April 21 to adopt a proclamation recognizing June as Bridal or Gay Pride Month, saying a formal county statement would help make LGBTQ+ people feel safer and more welcome.
David Taggart of the Mariposa Democratic Club presented the petition and explained the petition’s goals: to recognize LGBTQ+ residents and visitors, support young people’s mental health and affirm that all county residents deserve safety and respect. Several speakers described personal incidents: a transgender friend who was harassed, students who were yelled at or thrown objects at, and petition signers who said people had left the county because they felt unwelcome. Organizers said they gathered about 597 signatures across the county’s five supervisorial districts.
Supporters included longtime residents, former teachers and local business owners who said the proclamation would be an important symbolic step and help retain Yosemite area workers who felt unwelcome in Mariposa Town. Several speakers said the action would not be controversial beyond expressing community values and would align Mariposa with surrounding jurisdictions.
Opponents who spoke at the same public comment period said they objected to the idea of a formal county recognition for sexual orientation and worried about perceived impacts on family values and public spaces. One opponent said that recognition was not necessary and expressed concern about exposing children to public displays.
The board received the petition and public comment during the non‑agenda public‑comment period. No formal vote or formal agenda item on a proclamation occurred that day; the transcript records the receipt of petition pages to the clerk and extensive testimony for the board’s later consideration.
