HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-25 Public Comment - J. Marker - A Resolution Declaring the Pride Flag and Its Variants to be Official Flags of the City of BozemanFrom:Jeffrey S. Marker
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]A Resolution Declaring the Pride Flag and Its Variants to be Official Flags of the City of Bozeman
Date:Tuesday, July 15, 2025 11:01:31 AM
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Thank you for taking the Pride Flag issue up for consideration.
In local government, perception matters. We make Main Street design standards to say "we are a thriving city that
remembers our history." We build trails to say "we are connected to the outdoors." We create dog parks to signal
how dog-happy we are. The list goes on and on.
Imagine that a handful of radicals in Helena passed a law that prohibited public dog parks; many people are afraid of
dogs and may feel that using public space for dogs somehow excludes or endangers them. Would the City of
Bozeman -- that proudly dog-happy metropolis -- padlock its parks? Or would it move heaven and earth to navigate
the law to keep those spaces open? I think the answer is self-evident.
This is precisely the issue you are considering. Bozeman laid claim to being an inclusive community, and flew the
Pride Flag as a symbol of that commitment. A handful of radicals crafted a bill in Helena and passed it -- over the
"nay" vote of every Bozeman representative. I strongly encourage you to do for the communities for whom an overt
symbol of inclusion no less than you would for our four-legged friends: find a path to continue to fly the Pride Flag.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter,
Jeff Marker
Bozeman resident