HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-25 Public Comment - C. Alegria - Comment on Pride Flag ResolutionFrom:Crystal Alegria
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comment on Pride Flag Resolution
Date:Tuesday, July 15, 2025 9:30:08 AM
Attachments:Letter of support for Pride Flag resolution.pdf
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Dear Mayor Cunningham and Bozeman City Commissioners,Please find attached a letter of support for the Resolution Declaring the Pride Flag and Its
Variants to be Official Flags of the City of Bozeman. Best,
Crystal Alegria
Dear Mayor Cunningham and Bozeman City Commissioners,
I write today in strong support of the resolution declaring the Pride Flag and its variants to
be the official fiags of the City of Bozeman.
This resolution supports section 3.3 of the City of Bozeman’s strategic plan that reads,
“Friendly Community: Ensure Bozeman continues to welcome diversity through policies
and public awareness.” The Pride Flag instantly conveys a symbol of safety, inclusion, and
community.
From 2021 through May of 2025, Bozeman demonstrated leadership and commitment to
inclusion by fiying the Pride Flag year-long. This practice set an important precedent—not
only as a symbol of support for LGBTQ+ residents, but as a clear statement that Bozeman is
a community where diversity, inclusion, dignity, and safety are valued and protected.
The Pride fiag, originally designed by artist and activist Gilbert Baker in 1978, has deep
symbolism and history. Baker was commissioned by Harvey Milk, one of the flrst openly gay
elected officials in the U.S., to create a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ+ community. Baker
envisioned a fiag that would represent the beauty and diversity of queer identity, much like
how fiags represent nations. Each color in the fiag was chosen to represent a different
aspect of the human experience such as life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony and spirit.
Over time the fiag has evolved to include variations that refiect the diversity of the LGBTQ+
community including people of color, transgender individuals, and others who have
historically been marginalized. The very flrst Pride fiag was fiown on June 25, 1978, during
the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade, which is now known as San Francisco Pride.
This historic moment took place in United Nations Plaza near San Francisco’s Civic Center.
It is documented that the Pride fiag has fiown since the 1990s in various parts of Montana,
especially in Missoula during Pride Month. Prior to that, various LGBTQ+ organizations and
events (such as rallies, campus events, and gatherings) around the state would often have
homemade rainbow fiags—especially in major cities like Helena, Billings, and Bozeman.
In Bozeman, Montana State University’s Queer Straight Alliance has been continuously
active since 1978. It was officially founded in March 1977 by Christopher Silberhorn and
secured recognition as a student group by MSU shortly thereafter. MSU’s archives hold
records dating back to those early years—newsletters, fiyers, meeting minutes, even
documentation of harassment—conflrming an active LGBTQ+ presence on campus from
the late 1970s. Pride House, a youth-centered drop-in space downtown, refiect ongoing
efforts to build inclusive, safe environments for queer people and allies opened in 2021.
Queer Bozeman was established in 2022.
Formal Pride celebrations emerged in Bozeman within the last decade: While Bozeman
hosted occasional LGBTQ-themed events and drag nights earlier, the flrst modern formal
Pride weekend returned in 2023. Its second annual iteration took place from May 27 to June
2, 2024, featuring block parties, resource fairs, dances, and a “pride stroll” on Main Street.
I respectfully urge you to adopt this resolution and continue Bozeman’s role as a leader in
equity and inclusion across Montana.
Sincerely,
Crystal Alegria, Director of The Extreme History Project. My home address is 191 Arcadia
Lane, Bozeman, MT