As we join the nation in a glorious, month-long celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, we want to highlight this week’s news that the City of San Bernardino just proclaimed June Pride Month for the first time.
At a time when anti-LGBTQ+ activists throughout the country are banning LGBTQ+ themed books, inclusive curriculum, and recycling harmful lies about LGBTQ+ educators and mentors, we need more city leaders to stand tall, risk pushback from hate-filled groups, and show support for the members of the LGBTQ+ community.
At a time when an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in various states that are sometimes passing in state legislatures and are often targeting LGBTQ+ youth and specifically transgender youth, we need more leaders to use the power of their position to protect members of our communities and our youth from such dangerous attacks.
That is because these are the times we’ve heard about; when leaders do what is right, even when it feels uncomfortable.
While the San Bernardino County Democratic Party has no flagpole on which to fly a flag, we will continue “flying” the flag this month on our Social Media sites and other forms of communication, because we know that the Pride flag is not merely a symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, but it’s a symbol of love, of struggle, and sacrifice.
Next year, we hope more cities will celebrate Pride month along with us, not only with a proclamation, but by flying the Pride flag, too. And we look for the County of San Bernardino to follow the lead of the progress just made by the County of Los Angeles, by flying the flag with pride throughout San Bernardino County.
Kristin Washington
Chair, San Bernardino County Democrats
