A divided SoCal council rejects flying pride flag at City Hall
A pride flag won’t fly at Redlands City Hall during Pride Month this June, though it has in the past.
With a 3-2 vote Tuesday, May 2, the Redlands City Council rejected a proposal that would have amended the city’s existing flag policy, which allows for displaying the U.S. flag, state and local flags, and others such as the POW/MIA flag.
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The amendment voted down by a majority of the council Tuesday would have changed the policy to allow for the display of additional flags, including the multi-colored flag that is used to recognize the LGBTQ community during Pride Month.
Mayor Eddie Tejeda changed his previous vote on the issue, alternating the expected outcome of the flag policy, and causing some displeasure amongst the audience. Some members of the public left the meeting as soon as he finished casting his vote in opposition.
The council deadlocked on the matter on March 21, ending in a 2-2 tie with Tejeda and Councilmember Denise Davis voting in favor of amending the flag policy. Councilmembers Mario Saucedo and Paul Barich opposed.
Jenna Guzman-Lowery, who was unable to attend the March 21 meeting, said Tuesday she supported changing the city’s rules on which flags can be displayed at City Hall
“I continue to stand with the approval of this policy,” she added, “because I think it’s important that the message we send is one of progress, care, and support for our communities.”
At the meeting Tuesday, only Davis and Guzman-Lowey voted in favor of the policy amendment, with Tejeda changing his mind on the matter in the course of six weeks.
“I stress to everyone here,” Tejeda said, “that I don’t make decisions just because I’m emotional about something, one way or another.”
Tejeda attributed his change of mind to the government speech doctrine, saying he was concerned that flying a pride flag could fun afoul of the principle “requiring viewpoint neutrality when the government itself is the speaker.”
He also said the council couldn’t guarantee that future elected leaders wouldn’t misuse the flag display policy, and that local governments are intended to be nonpartisan.
Davis, the first openly LGBTQ member of the council, noted that one public speaker mentioned pride flags already are flown at the state Capitol and in many other counties throughout California, as well as the nation.
“It’s easily considered (accepted) government speech,” Davis said, “in governments that value conclusion.”
About 30 community members spoke at the meeting, with a majority of the crowd in support of amending the policy to allow displaying a pride flag. Some carried miniature pride flags into the meeting. Out of the 25 audience members who turned in speaker slips on the policy amendment, 18 were for allowing the change, six were against, and one was unmarked.
Former Redlands Unified school board candidate Erin Stepien showed up in opposition to the proposed policy change.
“If you vote this in,” Stepien said, “you must give each other micro factor in our society the same chance at having their philosophy celebrated on our flagpole.”
She said if the council voted yes, it would be a “slippery slope” setting up the city for “discrimination” since the city would be “favoring one group.”
Another opponent of the proposed policy, Valerie Rodriguez, said she heard the community and does not “hate” any one person, but asked the council not to change its rules.
“The existing policy is completely inclusive of all citizens, as it is currently drafted,” Rodriguez said.
Tensions ran high at the meeting when comments from two speakers who identified themselves as against the flag policy amendment prompted an outcry from some members of the crowd who had to be silenced by Tejeda. “Everybody has a right to say what they need to say” in public comment, Tejeda said.
Of the 18 speakers completely in favor of waving the pride flag, the first one to speak was Brian Hamilton, who said he was glad to have the discussion because he has a stake in it.
“The LGBT flag is a flag that is intended to celebrate diversity,” Hamilton said. “And to honor the people here in this community, who are like me.”
Another supporter of amending the city’s flag policy, Hannah Capps, said, “If you feel hurt or frightened by the pride flag, I really encourage you not to look at it.”
If the policy had been approved, it would have been the third year the pride flag would have flown at City Hall in June, noted speaker Traci Lowenthal.
“To fly the pride flag this year feels especially important,” Lowenthal said. “At least 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. That is an all-time high. Whether banning healthcare or discussions of LGBTQ identity in classrooms, our LGBTQ community members receive one clear message over and over again: ‘You are not wanted.’ “
Following the meeting, Guzman-Lowery said in an email Wednesday, May 3, she is extremely disappointed in the council’s action. After the March 21 discussion, she said, she had an idea of how her colleagues were voting, but she was not “expecting the sudden reversal of beliefs from Mayor Tejeda.”
“This is not the end of the issue,” she said.
After the meeting Tuesday, the councilmember said, she spoke with members of the community and was “met with many tears, articulate voices, but most of all strength.”
She added, “The queer folx of Redlands will continue to demonstrate their pride with or without the city’s flagpole.”
In an email Wednesday, Davis said she is deeply disappointed in Tuesday’s vote.
“Across the nation, attacks on the LGBTQ community are on the rise, and this sends a very disheartening message to the Redlands LGBTQ community and our allies,” Davis said. “It feels like a step backwards (since we had already been flying the pride flag for the last two years), but I am encouraged by the overwhelmingly supportive public comments last night.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify an exchange during public comment at the meeting Tuesday.