HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-25 Public Comment - L. Ruina - Comments in regards to the Pride Flag issueFrom:Lauren Runia
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments in regards to the Pride Flag issue
Date:Tuesday, July 15, 2025 4:13:37 PM
Attachments:Pride Flag Meeting.docx
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To the City Commissioners
My name is Lauren Runia. I live here in the Gallatin Valley at 10109 Cottonwood Rd. I haveattached a Word doc with my comments regarding the considerations for including the Pride
flag as part of our Bozeman's flags. Thanks for considering my comments!
Sincerely,Lauren
…………………………………
1-406-570-1959
Pride Flag Meeting Commissioner’s Office Bozeman, MT
My name is Lauren Runia, I have a Bozeman address. I’m an American citizen, privileged to the
freedoms and protections that all of us here in this room have as Americans citizens under our
constitution. But more importantly to me, I am a Christian, I believe what God says in the Bible to be
true, particularly as it relates to gender, marriage and how we are to live.
I realize there are people in this room who do not hold to those beliefs. You don’t agree with me, and I
don’t agree with you, and that’s OK, in America we are free to believe, and have the right to believe as we
want. This discussion isn’t about telling anyone how they should or shouldn’t live. As Christ followers,
we are to show love to everyone, whether they have a pride sticker on their bumper or not.
Why do we fly the American flag? To honor our history and country’s values, recognize, declare,
celebrate the freedoms we all have. It’s a symbol of unity and love for our country. It represents the
amazing constitution and Bill of Rights that guide and govern us.
And then we fly our Montana flag, which represents Montana as the 41st state of the union, becoming a
state on November 8,1889. It honors our states history, our heritage, our unique identity and landscape.
These two flags are monumental in what they represent.
And now we are discussing adding a flag that represents a small minority of people in our valley, a flag
that for many would be divisive and offensive.
There are more than 50 churches in the Galatin Valley, representing anywhere from 30,000 to probably
40,000 people (or more). Many, if not most of the people from these churches hold to the Biblical
views of gender, marriage, and how we are to live our lives as Christ followers. Flying a Pride flag to
represent the city of Bozeman would undoubtedly be offensive to thousands of residents of Bozeman
and of the Galatin valley. Not agreeing with the Pride agenda is one thing, but promoting and endorsing
it as a symbol of what Bozeman is, is where the offense and division comes into play.
Some of the reasons we’ve heard for having a Pride flag is to show inclusivity and promote a feeling of
safety. May I say, these are already included in our American – and Montana flags. We are a country of
laws and a country of diversity, ethnic diversity, religious diversity, and cultural diversity, and we take
pride in that. That’s what these two great flags represent. We do not need a separate flag for
sexual/lifestyle diversity which would be offensive to thousands of our residents. Why wouldn’t we
then have a flag for our Black-African/American residents, our Native American residents, residents
from Mexico, Asia and other countries and cultures?
In summary, a pride flag is inappropriate, it does not belong alongside our current two great flags. It
would be divisive and offensive to thousands of us living here in Bozeman and the Galatin Valley, and for
us as Christians, would bring a sense of shame to the city we are proud of and call home. Not having a
Pride flag would then not cause this division, offense or bring shame.
Let us take pride in our two great flags that currently represent who we are as Americans, Montanans
and residents of Bozeman. Thank You