VACAVILLE, Calif. — In a last minute decision, the office of mayor John Carli announced the city will fly the pride flag above city hall, and he will sign a proclamation observing June as Pride Month.
The proclamation, to be signed Thursday, declares "June 2023 ‘LGBTQ Pride Month’ as a time to recognize and support, include and safeguard the LGBTQ community in the City of Vacaville."
Residents and the Solano Pride Center accused Carli of not openly supporting the LGBTQ+ community due to the inaction taken before June.
The mayor and members of the Solano Pride Center met May 24 to discuss the proclamation of acknowledgment, but Carli says the proclamation he was given was “different from those that the prior mayor issued” and recent court rulings led him to consult with legal counsel before making a decision or taking action.
The United States Supreme Court case he’s referring to is Shurtleff v. City of Boston, a case asking if a city, in this case Boston, can refuse to fly a private religious organization’s flag on city flagpoles or if the refusal violates the First Amendment.
The court ruled because the city had not previously rejected flags and had exercised little to no control over flag content, it was not government speech and “that refusal discriminated based on religious viewpoint and violated the Free Speech Clause,” according to then Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer who wrote the opinion.
Vacaville does not have any clause or guidelines for what flags can be flown over city hall, but Carli's office says city council "may consider a flag policy at a future meeting."
Long time resident of Vacaville and veteran Aurda Orr says she felt betrayed by Carli waiting to make the decision and believes recognizing June as Pride Month only supports the community.
"To have the city publicly acknowledge that it stands in solidarity with us promoting equality and providing a safe community for all means a lot," she said. "We're a valued member of the community just like everyone else is. Let's all stand together, love one another and make this a better country."
The Solano Pride Center said if the city hadn't make the proclamation, it would be the only one in Solano County not recognizing June as Pride Month.
"It has always been my intention to include our LGBTQ residents and visitors. We are a city open to all, recognizing and affirming each individual and what they bring to our beloved community," said Carli in a press release.
The center said it will still hold the 3rd annual Vacaville Pride event on June 3 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Andrews Park at 614 E Monte Vista Ave.
