XPost: alt.transgendered, talk.politics.guns, seattle.politics   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: cv@invalid.org   
      
   On 6/10/2024 12:36 AM, Government Sanctioned Assault On Males wrote:   
   > A Seattle-area city has voted against raising the so-called Pride Flag   
   > during June, which has become de facto holiday for the LGBTQ community. The   
   > Newcastle, Washington, city council voted 4-3 against a motion from council   
   > member Paul Charbonneau to raise the flag.   
   >   
   > Mayor Robert Clark asserted that the city already flies the “most unifying   
   > symbol in the history of the world” — the American Flag. Clark said   
   that, as   
   > a rule, the city does not do proclamations of any kind.   
   >   
   > “I brought forward the motion because raising the Pride flag is an easy   
   > thing for us to do as a local government to show the LGBTQIA+ community that   
   > we see them and that we value them,” said Charbonneau. “Many groups have   
   > been historically underrepresented in local government, including the   
   > LGBTQIA+ community, and raising the flag as we have in past years shows them   
   > that their government cares about them and invites them to engage with us.”   
   >   
   > But it’s an unnecessary and potentially divisive measure, according to the   
   > mayor.   
   >   
   > “Proclamation says a city directs the people to honor, respect, or support   
   a   
   > certain thing or item,” Clark said. “Well, what if the people in the   
   > community don’t do that? If we say you have to support this because we   
   > proclaimed it, but certain people in the community say no.”   
   >   
   > “The most unifying symbol in the history of the world flies over this city   
   > council every day,” Clark offered. “That’s the American flag. That’s   
   diverse   
   > enough for me. That includes everybody in the community.”   
   >   
   > Clark further pointed out that raising the flag of one group opens up   
   > Pandora’s Box when it comes to city recognition of alternative groups.   
   >   
   > “If we start raising flags, then we’ve got to raise everybody’s. Do   
   you want   
   > a Hamas flag flying over the City of Newcastle? Or a MAGA flag. How about a   
   > Trump flag or an Antifa flag?” Clark asked. “We’re not going there   
   folks,”   
   >   
   > According to council member Sun Burford, who voted the raise the Pride Flag,   
   > the decision marks a move backward for the city.   
   >   
   > “This decision, made despite the flag being flown for over four years, is a   
   > step backward for our community,” Burford told KOMO News. “The intolerant   
   > comments made by some council members are alarming and anachronistic. Our   
   > community deserves better. We deserve leaders who embrace inclusivity,   
   > diversity, and acceptance. I urge our council to reconsider the decision and   
   > show our support for the LGBTQ+ community.”   
   >   
   > Clark further explained his stance against the “Pride” flag in a written   
   > statement.   
   >   
   > “My position is that government should be very limited. The First Amendment   
   > was created for a reason. To allow freedom of assembly, speech, and   
   > religion,” the mayor explained. “The government has no right to tell   
   people   
   > what to say, what to think, or what to do.”   
   >   
   > “Raising a flag or issuing a statement says this is what the government   
   > believes, and since the government represents all the people the clear   
   > inference is that everyone in the community also believes it. This is false   
   > on every issue, no matter how harmless,” Clark contended.   
   >   
   > One Pride adherent, Corrinalyn Guyette, was particularly incensed that Clark   
   > lumped the Pride movement in with Hamas.   
   >   
   > “He [the mayor] referenced and compared the Pride flag to the Hamas flag.   
   > That comparison is outrageous. That’s just icing on the cake, for the   
   > community to just stand back and say, ‘How could he of even made that   
   > statement?’”   
   >   
   >   
   > A protest against the city council’s decision is scheduled for June 18,   
   > where proponents will gather in their “rainbow, colorful glory.”   
   >   
   > https://thenewamerican.com/us/culture/washington-city-says-no-to-raising-   
   > pride-flag/   
   >   
      
   GOD BLESS NEWCASTLE!   
      
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