The Board of Supervisors here in Johnson County, IA, voted 4-1 in favor of a Pride Month proclamation earlier today. Here is the content of today's Pride Month proclamation:
PROCLAMATION
PRIDE MONTH
JUNE 2014
WHEREAS, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people across the nation celebrate pride in their culture and community in the month of June; and
WHEREAS, the whole community is strengthened and enhanced through the contributions of all its diverse citizens; and
WHEREAS, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in Johnson County will celebrate Pride Month in June with a parade and festival on June 21, 2014.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2014 to be:
PRIDE MONTH
and encourage Johnson County residents to recognize the many contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals and communities have made to our County.
, indicating that he has no problems with "
people who are gay, transgendered, or whatnot," but he has a problem with devoting an entire month to Pride when "
we don't do that for anything else" (
except for County Government Month, or Donate Life Month, or Foster Care Month, etc...). But if it had been a Pride Day Proclamation or possibly a Pride Week Proclamation, he says he likely would have voted to support it.
I don't personally care if Etheredge voted against the Pride Proclamation or that it wasn't an unanimous vote. I don't expect his support so I'm not disappointed when I don't get it. But I know some of the other Supervisors were upset by both his no vote and by his explanation. They were also upset by him posing with Pride Committee representative Jewell Amos in a photo op after voting against her proclamation.
But the important part is that the Pride Month Proclamation was approved by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors and at least one Board representative will publicly read it next month at our local Pride celebration.
