The American and Oregon flags fly in front of City Hall two years ago, in May 2023, when the “pride” flag issue first came up. A pride flag will not be joining them on the pole.
The Albany City Council majority Wednesday confirmed its stand in favor of displaying the gay-pride flag at City Hall in June. But no, the flag will not actually be hoisted on the pole outside.
The flag pole is too short for three flags, so the pride flag will be displayed inside the window overlooking the plaza outside, as it was in June 2023. City Manager Peter Troedsson explained this after the council voted 5-1 for a resolution introduced Monday by Councilwoman Jackie Montague.
Councilwoman Marilyn Smith opposed the action. She said it was “something that doesn’t need to be done” because the U.S. and state flags already represent everyone. To her, “liberty and justice for all” in the Pledge of Allegiance means what it says: “all” means all.
The other five council members were not persuaded. If you missed the meeting, check the YouTube recording (starting at 17:00) for what everybody said.
The pertinent text of the resolution the five voted for says:
“The City of Albany shall raise the Progress Pride flag at City Hall annually during the month of June, commencing in 2025 and continuing in perpetuity, to honor and celebrate Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community.”
In case you’re new to this skirmish in the culture wars, a glossary put out by the LGBTQIA Resource Center at the University of California in Davis says that unpronounceable line of letters means this:
“Abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual. The additional ‘+’ stands for all of the other identities not encompassed in the short acronym. … Our center uses LGBTQIA to intentionally include and raise awareness of Queer, Intersex and Asexual communities as well as myriad other communities under our umbrella.”
And when it’s a “progress pride flag,” according to an ad for one, it includes black and brown stripes to represent “marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white, which are used on the transgender pride flag.”
Maybe they could add one more stripe, one that represents the rest of the entire human race. (hh)
Councilwoman Montague announced toward the end of the meeting Wednesday she was resigning. She didn’t say why. She had told others about this earlier, and the city was ready with a memento thanking her for her work on the council. Her council spot will be filled by appointment.
If ‘+’ stands for all of the other identities, does the umbrella include MAPs and ASAM?
Let’s welcome and affirm all orientations, regardless of current political/legal stigmatization, into the acronym.
Progressivism demands it.
Albany’s politics are so vicious because the stakes are so low.
I think that this is something that should come to the voters instead of the city council.
i Dont need that kind of ‘support’ From the city. If they want to support me, i accept cash. Fixing the citys roads so my back stops hurting is also acceptable. Hanging a piece of cloth from an entry or window is just stupid and pointless. IMHO
One pushy vocal group gets to hang their flag banner in city hall in Albany Oregon? There is plenty of controversy in our state and country about many things. Will different groups be allowed to hang their flags or symbols at Albany city hall? I think not. The City council has unnecessarily opened a can of worms.
I love to see this! It helps LGBTQ+ people who live here in Albany like me feel more welcome here.
Your Mayor and City Council just made “your group” much less welcome here. Look at the comments and you might get over your delusion.
“Look at the comments and you might get over your delusion.”
Because, of course, the comments here are representative of Albany’s general populace. Snicker.
We would be a far better society if people would keep their sexual preferences to themselves.
So when will the Gadsden flag be displayed as well?
Nobody is treading on you (or anyone), sweety.
Equal time and justice for all, Sweetie. Albany voters need to approve (or disapprove) the radical action of displaying any partisan symbol of jurisdictional conquest ‘over’ the people contained in public (governmental) structures. Agreeing with Councilor Smith, doing so would set a dangerous precedent that’s totally avoidable.
I guess you can blame Ronald Reagan for winning the Cold War and leaving us to ourselves. And don’t forget JFK telling people to get off their butts and contribute instead of sitting back and begging like a dog. How NAZI is THAT!
“…. commencing in 2025 and continuing in perpetuity, to honor and celebrate Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community.”
PERPETUITY? Only Narcissistic TYRANTS would be so crazy to believe they can make a law for PERPETUITY. Where is the City Attorney on this? The INSANITY is now documented.
The passage of this resolution can only be considered as self interest by this current council. I applaud Councilor Smith for being the only councilor to explain that our American flag represents ALL, not just a selected few. I believe as others have said in this blog that I don’t care who you have sex with or love. Just don’t shove in in our face and say we have to believe as you do. I have had good friends who are gay, and they are terrific people. But never did they push their beliefs on me.
The present councilors were hell bent on getting this passed (without giving anyone in the public the opportunity to comment) . This was a very selfish move and doing it the way they did has put a black eye on their service to the citizens in Albany. Believe me when I say I know how the public has long term memories when they believe things are not on the up in up.
One last thought. With the current national administration, this may come back and bite them. If it leads to loss of federal funding, they have no one to blame but themselves.
Well said, Bessie. Thank you for describing the Rainbow Mafia’s unapologetic tyranny waged against the majority of Albany voters.
You just described an “elected oligarchy”.
Where sheepish citizens naively put Albany’s elite ruling class into power.
The result is a mayor/council who are “very selfish”, as you say. They have no incentive or motivation to listen to, and serve, their constituency.
The elites are counting on Albany voters being timid and easily fooled. It’s the currency of modern progressivism.
Wish you were still in there
The city should put a flag up for the old guy that they fined and took a way his home then tore it down. It is just plain sad that no one protested or came to his defense. All the “much a do about nothing” rings hollow either way whether for or against any flag. The city openly violated that poor old guy and not a squeak from anyone that knew about it! Not to mention the $300,000 they fined the guy who repaired the rentals so the renters did not live in filth. Shame on everyone that does not call the city on their behavior. Every time we go to the park near his home we are reminded what cruelty the city is capable of and will do without hesitation. They pull these politically correct farces to prove their false commitment to any form of civility. No matter what your political views are people should stand up for the people in the community. Stop wasting energy on the city’s foolish bs and hold them to task.
The councilwoman that made a motion to vote for the flag , resigned later that night why did she not recuse herself, rumor she went to work for the city, WHAT is going on, really WHAT is going on..and so what now
If she quit before the meeting was over, one might be able to make a legal case that she didn’t have the authority to propose anything because she was not a member.
Just like a good progressive liberal, screw stuff up, then leave for others to clean up the mess. What a cancerous group of people and their ideologies.
So very grateful that myself and family do not live in Albany. I think there is no need to put up a flag anywhere signifying a persons sexual preferences. Most people don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own home. They know that it is none of anyone’s business, and we don’t have to divide people into a separate group with a separate flag. Either we are all covered by the Constitution as equal or we are just hypocrites pretending we are all equal. To showcase with any flag other than the American and or State flag is just admitting that they are not part of the body as a whole and feel they are special and entitled.