The Mount Vernon City Council will be investigating an ordinance or policy similar to Cedar Rapids to allow for support of pride activities in the community.
Citizen Megan Jones was asking for more outward symbols of support for the LGBQTIA+ citizens in the community, noting the tough year it has been with legislation statewide and national activism against trans identifying individuals.
“We are very angry, scared and grieving,” Jones said. “Many people are choosing to move from this state. Public showing of support is very important.”
Jones noted the cities efforts on a Diversity Equity and Inclusion statement and the proclamation read by the mayor in April were important.
“My daughter Aida noted if she didn’t know the context of why that statement was made by the city, though, she wouldn’t have known it was intended for people like her,” Jones said.
Jones has handed out static clings to area businesses to visually show support for LGBQTIA+ groups in the community, and was hoping the city would put those on their doors as a sign of outward support. She was also hoping to have the Progress flag flown at city hall during the month of Pride and the city to support any Pride events that may occur in the community.
Julia Andrews also reiterated the importance of those displays of support, citing the devastating legislation passed by Iowa government this winter session. She noted that the support from people in the community previously had allowed her to be bold and do things like printing the window clings for businesses or flying her own Pride flag in her yard.
“The truth is, when our state has drawn a line in the sand, it’s meaningful for our community to have a response,” Julia said. “It is not about me, it is about my wife, about my daughter, about my students. I want my family and students to know they are welcome in our community.”
Lauren Andrews thanked the council for the steps they had already taken thus far on these issues.
“I want people to know, we are just citizens trying to live our lives,” Lauren said. “Sometimes it’s exceptionally harder because of all of these laws being passed, and knowing my community is behind me makes everything easier.”
City administrator Chris Nosbisch said that a mayoral proclamation was something the city could easily do, and any Pride events would be given the same consideration as any other community event if the proper applications were made.
Without a proper resolution, however, he was not willing to allow the clings and flag to be flown at the city, as that could open the city to potential lawsuits.
“The actions of the City have to reflect all citizens,” Nosbisch said. “Without a proper resolution or policy, that opens us to legal challenges.”
If the council wanted to pursue a resolution for those displays, he and the city attorney could look into the language and provide it at a future meeting. He was certain that resolution would not be ready before the end of June.
Paul Tuerler said any decision on this matter would come back to city council if it was a matter they supported.
Council member Debra Herrmann asked if the decision on a resolution needed to be bound by a timeframe, that it just had to be finished during Pride month or could that be done at any time.
Nosbisch said that could be something the city continues exploring and passing at any time.
Herrmann also asked if there was any feedback to the previous proclamation that the city made.
All council members noted that there were no negative comments, texts, phone calls or other items for that proclamation.
“I did not enter into that proclamation lightly, because I expected pushback,” said mayor Tom Wieseler. “But I can concur I received none, much like city staff.”
Nosbisch said that the city will discuss with the city attorneys a policy for the city for the future.
“I don’t want to move so fast on the policy, because I want to make sure the city attorneys have dotted all their I’s and crossed their t’s,” Nosbisch said. “The thing that can be most detrimental to a positive movement going forward is going too fast or getting it tied up in a legal battle on the backside.”
Tuerler agreed that doing this right was important, and making sure the city is protected for the actions as well.
“You have brought other situations to us in the past, but clearly none as emotional and meaningful as this,” Tuerler said. “A policy in place is the right way to go because it takes ambiguity out of the situation.”
Council member Stephanie West said she will not be in attendance at June 19’s council meeting, but was in favor of a proclamation or supporting any other action taken at that meeting.
“I just want to say that when I ran after 2016, wanted to do that because I felt I needed to be making a difference, and right now this is a way I can make a difference in our little bubble, because I disagree with what’s going on at the state level, and so I have a certain amount of pride in saying that this is the difference,” West said. “I would encourage anyone to run for that reason. To people in our community this matters, and things at the local level matter.”
Jones said she knows that government moves slowly, and that Pride can be celebrated 12 months out of the year. She again reiterated the outward displays of support on top of proclamations are extremely important.
“It’s also for people not paying attention to the newspaper or the city council meetings,” Jones said. “It’s important for people to see that support.”
Nosbisch encouraged as many people as possible to attend the next council meeting for that proclamation reading to show support as well.
MV Council investigating policy to show support for LGBQT issues
June 15, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.