Lake Stevens Council denial of Pride proclamation disappointing

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 20, 2023

In the Lake Stevens City Council meeting on June 13, council member Anji Jorstad motioned to amend the agenda to discuss readopting a Pride Proclamation, which council member Mary Dickinson seconded. Mayor Brett Gailey joined the other five councilmembers against the motion, even refusing a discussion.

Their behavior was as predictable as it was disappointing. These six men decided what was best for an unrepresented minority, some of the very same men who were against forming a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Commission in 2021.

As a queer transplant, I imagined Lake Stevens to be a refuge where people like me could live freely and with authenticity, away from discrimination and persecution. Sometimes it feels that way, like when the nonprofit Lake Stevens Pride planned a Pride month event for June 24 at Lundeen Park.

Then there are days like June 13, when six men, in a display of indifference to the public, decided without explanation that the city with the motto, “One Community Around the Lake,” should only reflect themselves.

I don’t expect Lake Stevens to emulate other Snohomish County cities. But is it too much to ask that we live up to the standards we established in the 2021 Pride Proclamation?

James Malloy Harmon

Lake Stevens