Mayor Kevin Lincoln and Council Members Michele Padilla and Michael Blower voted against honoring the flag during pride month. They said that honoring a LGBTQ+ flag created a double standard.
Cymone Reyes, with Central Valley Health and Wellness Center said, quote “We are surprised that we have to do a call to action to have the pride flag raised since, in the past four years with Mayor Michael Tubbs, this was a non-issue.”
In 2019, the City of Stockton passed the Flag Display Policy. The policy aims to protect the city’s ability to regulate what flags are displayed on city flagpoles, by treating the display of commemorative flags as government speech.
Additionally, the policy specifically provides that commemorative flags may be flown only as authorized by the City Council, as an expression of the City’s official sentiments.
Longtime LGBTQ+ activist, Nicholas Hatten said, quote “These votes should be moments of celebration and diversity, instead they are calling flags for the most extreme activists that want to deny equality.”
Councilmember Dan Wright requested Stockton’s City Clerk, Eliza Garza to put a request on the council’s agenda to display the pride flag in commemoration of Pride month for consideration by the full Council.
