Despite Fort Worth supporting the initiative in 2023, City Council members could not agree on this year’s Pride proclamation Tuesday evening.
According to the City of Fort Worth’s website, a proclamation must be “[i]ssued by the Mayor and the full City Council” before it can be placed on the City Council agenda. Ultimately, several City Council members, including Macy Hill, Alan Blaylock, and Charlie Lauersdorf, declined to sign off on the Pride proclamation this year.
Blaylock told the Fort Worth Report that he thought the proposed proclamation was narrower than in previous years and wanted it edited to include the entire LGBTQ community. The draft prepared by Fort Worth resident and LGBTQ community leader Felipe Gutierrez reportedly highlighted the groups LGBTQ Saves, Finn’s Place, YesterQueer, and Trinity Pride rather than referring to the LGBTQ community.
Finn’s Place has come under fire for its youth initiatives.
“Finn’s Place promotes a summer camp ‘for LGBT youth’ located somewhere in North Texas. Sounds safe, right?” posted Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French on X last month.
“A camp dedicated to ‘trans’ children where they stay out in the wilderness away from their parents? Not great. They also promote therapists that socially transition children, businesses that offer sexual products, and The Kind Clinic, which offers ‘hormone therapy.’ Perhaps we will do more digging into these ‘churches,'” French added.
Recognizing that the Pride proclamation would not pass, Council Member Elizabeth Beck drafted individual certificates of recognition for each organization highlighted in the proposed proclamation, plus a few more, such as the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness and Camp Haven.
“In Fort Worth, y’all means all, and we’re proud to have you as members of our community,” Beck said, per the Fort Worth Report.
Nevertheless, some were disappointed that the City Council did not reach a consensus and pass a 2024 Pride proclamation.
“This has all happened before,” said Todd Camp, Fort Worth resident and founder of YesterQueer, per the Fort Worth Report.
Camp noted how he had been among those pushing for recognition in 2009 and suggested that the initiative had grown complaisant after previously making strides.
“You know, we may have some political losses around this, but I think ultimately, the pendulum will swing back. And we will be better for it,” he added.
On the other hand, others were pleased that the Pride proclamation did not come to fruition.
“Bravo to the City of Fort Worth officials who stood against the grain to represent ‘We the People,’ and not just the loud and obnoxious,” Fort Worth resident Cassie Will told The Dallas Express.
Fort Worth Businesswoman Cheryl Bean supported the council not passing a pride proclamation.
“As a Mother and a Grandmother, I appreciate Alan Blaylock, Macy Hill and Charlie Lauersdorf who vetoed the Pride Proclamation day. Personally, I don’t care if people are LGBTQ, I just don’t want them in the streets I drive on, with my grandchildren in the car, half naked, topless, in thongs etc. We need to protect and preserve the innocence of our children! We need to protect them from groomers and from the type of over sexualization that occurs at these parades and public displays of ‘Pride!’ Feel free to celebrate at your own private events, in your own homes, backyards and in venues where no children are present or exposed!” Bean told DX.