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Most municipalities in Marin County have agreed to fly the LGBTQ flag this month for Delight Month, however some officers are involved about setting tough precedents.
San Rafael Metropolis Corridor and the Marin County Civic Middle have raised the flag for just a few years now, however different native jurisdictions only in the near past obtained a request for the symbolic help. The councils in Corte Madera, Novato, Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon authorized hoisting the rainbow banner on municipal flagpoles.
Corte Madera, Novato, Tiburon and Larkspur additionally up to date their flag insurance policies to require councils to approve or deny requests to fly a specific commemorative flag.
Larkspur, nonetheless, was extra hesitant than most councils. It voted 4-1 to defer each the flag coverage and delight flag selections at its assembly final month however finally handed each unanimously at its assembly on Wednesday.
Councilman Scot Candell mentioned he’s in favor of flying the delight flag, however passing a coverage that may enable the council to find out whether or not it ought to fly a specific flag on a city-owned flag pole is a “slippery slope.”
“Possibly it’s a pro-Palestinian factor, or a pro-Israeli factor,” Candell mentioned on the assembly on Could 25. “I imply, there’s simply there’s simply so many variations that might put us as a council in a really awkward place of mainly voting on group values.”
The request to fly the delight flag originated from Dana Van Gorder, govt director of the Spahr Middle, a Corte Madera nonprofit serving the LGBTQ group. Van Gorder, in a letter asking for the help, mentioned younger individuals who establish as LGBTQ are battling discrimination, rejection and suicidal ideas.
Addressing Candell’s remark, Van Gorder mentioned that in a survey of greater than 250 individuals who establish as LGBTQ, a majority of individuals mentioned Marin seems like a “don’t ask, don’t inform” setting.
“There was minimal stage of help and actually sort of the same want to what I’m listening to from councilmember Candell, that we simply sort of go away as a result of we’re creating an issue,” he mentioned. “We resolved ourselves to attempt to make it clear that key establishments on this county do, the truth is, help our group simply as they help the total variety of our group, whether or not it’s for the Latinx group or the African American group.”
Metropolis Lawyer Sky Woodruff mentioned the flag coverage replace is easy.
“It’s fairly normal for these kind of insurance policies that any flying of a commemorative flag by the town is an expression of the Metropolis Council speech,” he mentioned.
In the course of the assembly on Wednesday, most callers who addressed the subject supported the request.
“Flying the flag is a strong solution to have a good time the contributions of LGBTQ+ folks to the social and financial material of Marin County,” mentioned Sally Relova, a Corte Madera resident.
San Rafael resident Bobby Moske agreed. He mentioned it’s unfair to match the request to fly the delight flag to attainable requests to fly Black Lives Matter, pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian flags.
“It’s probably not reliable as a result of LGBTQ is a group. It’s not a trigger. It’s not a motion,” Moske mentioned. “It represents human dignity and equality for all peoples.”
Larkspur resident James Holmes, nonetheless, mentioned the town mustn’t fly the delight flag at Metropolis Corridor or replace its flag coverage. He mentioned there isn’t any native demand and the Spahr Middle is attempting to make the suburban metropolis extra like San Francisco.
“Displaying the flag would even be an anachronism, which might conflict with the character of our historic construction,” Holmes mentioned. “And, considerably, seeing this flag at Metropolis Corridor might shock and disquiet many individuals as a result of flag’s distinctive twin significance as an emblem of not solely civil rights however of hedonism.”
Corte Madera resident Jana Barkin, who mentioned her son is transgender, responded to Holmes’ remark.
“It makes me actually unhappy, and is strictly why we have to fly the flag, after we hear sure feedback calling a standard variation of being human hedonistic,” Barkin mentioned.
In Tiburon, the City Council handed a flag coverage with a 4-1 vote and authorized the LGBTQ flag request unanimously. Councilwoman Alice Fredericks forged the dissenting vote on the flag coverage, citing potential First Modification points.
“Our previous follow has been to maintain flag poles for presidency flags,” Fredericks mentioned. “Partially, that’s as a result of we don’t wish to get into the dialog whether or not a specific place or show is acceptable. … It will be higher suited to select a public place for these sorts of causes and positions.”
Mayor Holli Their disagreed. She mentioned it’s not a matter of free speech, however somewhat a civil rights problem.
Vice Mayor Jon Welner requested: “If this had been a proposal that had come via our variety committee, would we be it in another way?”
“We’re supportive of a Juneteenth celebration, we’re speaking about find out how to be inclusive,” he mentioned. “All of us unanimously supported a decision in favor of variety, inclusion and anti-racism and anti-hate, and to me, that is simply an extension.”
“I don’t view it as a political problem in any respect,” he mentioned. “I believe it’s a civil rights problem and I’m simply actually supportive of it.”
The Mill Valley Metropolis Council will take into account a request to proclaim June as Delight Month at its meeting on Wednesday. The San Anselmo Metropolis Council is ready to vote on its flag coverage and the request to fly the delight flag at its assembly on Thursday.
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