HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-24-25 Public Comment - P. Ford - Proposal to change our city flagFrom:massagetherapyassoc
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposal to change our city flag
Date:Monday, June 23, 2025 8:17:04 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Commissioners,
My name is Patricia Ford and I have been a City of Bozeman resident since 1976 and ahomeowner since 1980.
I recently heard about the proposal to adopt the Pride flag as the official City of Bozeman
flag. Doing so would be a mistake.
Flags are important symbols that represent groups or communities. The adoption of the PrideFlag as the City of Bozeman flag would show heavy recognition of one segment of the
Bozeman community to the exclusion of others. What about Black Lives Matter, Antifa, PhiKappa Phi, or religious groups? Does the LGBTQ+ group deserve more recognition as part of
the diverse population of our city than any of these other groups? An official City flag shouldrepresent all the segments of the population, not just one.
I have always supported the gay community. In fact, for many years I drummed with the
group, Chick's With Sticks, which involved performing in Gay Pride Parades in Bozeman andthroughout the state. However, I do not agree with this type of preferential representation
through publicly displayed symbols.
Perhaps what bothers me most about this proposal is that it seems to be a blatant attempt tofind a loophole around House Bill 819, the law prohibiting the display of flags representing
specific belief systems or political views. The law is intended to keep public buildings neutral.
The adoption of the Pride flag would be exclusive to these other groups. This city flag needsto represent us all and not only one segment of our community.
Sincerely,
Patricia Ford
4022 Rain Roper Dr.Bozeman, Mt
406 581 6047
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone