HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-03-25 Public Comment - T. Wiegand - Public Comment – Pride FlagFrom:Tanner Wiegand
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment – Pride Flag
Date:Thursday, July 3, 2025 11:09:07 AM
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Dear Bozeman City Commission,
My name is Tanner Wiegand, and I'm a current resident living on East Lamme. I grew up in
Bozeman and have spent most of my life here. Today, I work remotely in scientific research asa molecular computational biologist for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, affiliated with
Columbia University. But in the pivotal years of adolescence, the warmth and inclusivity ofBozeman’s community enabled me to accept and thrive within my identity as a gay man.
Although our community has grown—welcoming transplants with diverse viewpoints and life
stories—that undercurrent of respect and neighborliness still defines the town that helpedshape me. I feel it when I see a familiar face downtown, when a stranger holds the door, or
when someone helps shovel out a snowed-in car. I also feel it when I walk past City Hall, thelibrary, or any municipal building and see the pride flag flying. That rainbow represents the
multifaceted identities of this community’s constituents. It lets each of us know that we arewelcome, that we are valued, that we are seen.
I am just one of the many stripes in that flag that colors our vibrant town, but I know this
symbol matters deeply to many others in Bozeman.
The world has felt like a colder, crueler place of late, with policies targeting the mostvulnerable members of our community arising at both state and federal levels. Amidst that
rising darkness, I hope Bozeman can continue to shine as the beacon that once helped me feelsafe and supported as a young man coming to terms with his identity.
I strongly urge you to support the adoption of the pride flag as a city flag, so that it can
continue to fly.
Thank you for all you do for Bozeman and its residents.
Best,Tanner Wiegand
--
Tanner Wiegand, PhD
Harvard Class of 2014
Montana State 2021
Tanner.wiegand@post.harvard.edu | (406) 570-1121