SJC Supervisors vote to allow Pride Flag to fly at county building:
The Pride flag, symbolizing the LGBTQ+ community, will be flown for five days beginning Monday at the San Joaquin County Administration Building in Stockton following a vote from the county's Board of Supervisors.
The Pride flag, symbolizing the LGBTQ+ community, will be flown for five days beginning Monday at the San Joaquin County Administration Building in Stockton following a vote from the county's Board of Supervisors.
SUPES APPROVE ALLOWING PRIDE FLAG TO BE FLOWN AT COUNTY BUILDING
SUPES APPROVE ALLOWING PRIDE FLAG TO BE FLOWN AT COUNTY BUILDING
The Pride flag, symbolizing the LGBTQ+ community, will be flown for five days beginning Monday at the San Joaquin County Administration Building in Stockton following a vote from the county’s Board of Supervisors.
The approval of the flag was accepted in a 4-to-1 vote and will be provided by the San Joaquin Pride Center.
Typically the rainbow flag is flown throughout the month of June to commemorate Pride Month and to recognize the diversity and strength of the LGBTQ+ community, according to a letter submitted to the board by Supervisor Kathy Miller.
Miller brought the flag request to the board after last week’s meeting adopted a flag policy that requires a four-fifths vote to fly commemorative flags.
Miller said although the board has recognized the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community through proclamations, flying the flag would be a visible statement.
“It would represent our county and government saying that discrimination, harassment and physical harm to LGBTQ individuals in San Joaquin County is not acceptable,” Miller said. “It will not be tolerated.”
Before the vote took place, many residents and some supervisors voiced their concerns about raising or not raising the flag.
“If we are making here a statement about equity or fairness, I am unable to find the instances where there’s a lack of equity or fairness or where there’s a disparity,” Supervisor Tom Patti said. “Once we start with one, we open the door for all others.”
In a rebuttal to Patti, Miller said this would be an opportunity for any group to exercise their own political speech.
This is an opportunity for the board as local government to either make a statement of support as many other countries did by flying the United States flag shortly after 9/11 … some governments are flying the flag of Ukraine right now as simply an expression of support,” Miller said.
Courtesy of Bay Area News Foundation
