Correction -A bad paraphrase towards the end of this article was corrected, removing an unintended double negative. Lauren Andrews was was pushing back on the claim that pedophiles/minor attracted people are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. “I believe and know that pedophiles/minor attracted people are NOT a part of the LGBTQ+ community.”
More than 40 citizens were in attendance for the Monday, June 19, Mount Vernon City Council meeting. On the agenda was the mayoral proclamation supporting Pride month in Mount Vernon, and many citizens addressed the council during citizens comment period.
Cindy Golding, House District 83, stated concerns she had with the language used in the June 5 council meeting and newspaper, describing the legislation by the legislature this past session as anti-LGBQT. She noted the actions taken in this session were to protect children from making any irreversible life changing decisions, not full anti-trans.
She noted there are protections that we have made to keep children from other risks, including smoking, drinking alcohol or getting tattoos, all of which are much less invasive.
On books being challenged, she noted that the focus was on removing any books that would be considered pornography and not age appropriate from library shelves.
She also cautioned the Mount Vernon city council on any actions they may take that would set a precedent that could be challenged by other groups asking for the same considerations that members of the LGBQTIA+ community are making.
Curt Hancock took issue with the request that the council show support to members of the LGBQTIA+ community.
“If I see bullying at all against any group, I’d take appropriate steps to stop it,” Hancock said.
Hancock then read a selection from All Boys Aren’t Blue that depicted an incident of child sexual abuse.
He noted that support of LGBQTIA+ individuals was a promotion of all lifestyles under that umbrella.
Jerry Niederhauser, a business owner in Mount Vernon, equated the issue coming from the country distancing themselves from the “In God We Trust” motto and not having God as forefront in culture anymore. As a former council member, he said that he was in favor of having a community debate on support of LGQBTIA+ individuals, not just by the council.
Doug Plotz of Ely who has children in the Mount Vernon School District said that supporting transgender people was supporting all aspects of transgender individuals.
Greg Papin pushed on the slippery slope of providing support for LGBQTIA+ individuals with a list of several holidays that could request recognition by the council in the future.
Papin also noted that the stickers that are being pushed to be considered as being displayed at city hall are only on twelve businesses in the community, which is roughly 7 percent of area businesses. He also worried about the sticker on the visitor’s center possibly opening the city for legal challenges.
“I don’t want this community to turn into a place like San Francisco,” Papin said.
Linda Kemp said that she was disheartened by people trying to portray members of the LGBQTIA+ community as something to be feared.
“They are vibrant people in our community,” Kemp said. “The city should make a clear visible statement that these people are safe here, they are welcome here.”
Rachel Harkin said that people are being more accepting to individuals of the LGQBTIA+ community.
Aida Jones spoke up as well to request the city make a stance that is easy to see and easy to understand, like displaying the Pride flag.
Kimberly Smith spoke about her transgender daughter and their love of Minecraft and just wanting to live their life.
“At a time where it’s really scary out in public to decide which bathroom to use, seeing support allows us to take a breath,” Smith said.
Mark Banowetz again reiterated how many days on the calendar are currently devoted to the LGBQTIA+ individuals, and worried again about what months would be supported by the council and how they would decide.
Lauren Andrews addressed the claim that not all businesses had been provided stickers at the meeting, but following the meeting she clarified she was incorrect on that fact, that other volunteers had distributed stickers to more businesses than just uptown Mount Vernon. She also pushed back on a claim that pedophiles/minorly attracted people were included in the LGBQTIA+ umbrella.
“I believe and know that pedophiles/minor attracted people are NOT a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Andrews said.