Jamestown Pride Committee members raise Progressive Pride flag on Tracy Plaza for Pride month (June 2, 2023)
Community members gathered Friday on Tracy Plaza for the raising of the Pride Progressive Flag for the start of Pride month in the city of Jamestown.
Jamestown Pride representative Tim Starr spoke, saying when he grew up in the area there was zero visibility for members of the LGBTQ+ community, “What we do here today is not just make a statement, although that’s very important. Today is about making sure that other people can see who we are. Can see that we’re proud survivors of everything that has gone on in the past, and that they too can have hope for their future.”
Mayor Eddie Sundquist, who is Gay, said the theme of the flag raising, “Vote With Pride,” is one way to stop government from stripping rights from the LGBTQ+ community, “We have grown apathetic and that apathy has allowed our politicians to creep in with legislation that is homophobic, anti-trans, and just downright mean. And don’t think it’s in just certain states. Did you know, in April, our own Assemblyman and Senator introduced a bill to ban transgender females in middle and high school from school sports? The same type of bills being introduced in legislatures across this country.”
Sundquist said he sent a letter in opposition to the state legislature saying the bill would deprive “a subset of students and young people of opportunities available to their peers and, if passed, would send a message to vulnerable transgender youth that they are not welcome or accepted in their own communities.”
Jamestown Pride Fest events will begin this Thursday, June 8 and continue through the weekend. For more information, visit https://www.mhachautauqua.org/jamestownpride/
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