HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-25 Public Comment - T. Dyas - Response to approval of 7_15_25 Agenda item J5 & Recommendation to make this feel more inclusive to allFrom:Tonia Dyas
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL][SENDER UNVERIFIED]Response to approval of 7/15/25 Agenda item J5 & Recommendation to
make this feel more inclusive to all
Date:Wednesday, July 16, 2025 4:35:17 PM
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7/16/2025
Dear Bozeman City Commissioners, Mayor and Deputy Mayor
Last night you passed the resolution to adopt the pride flag as an official flag of the City of
Bozeman. You passed this resolution in response to HB 819 which y’all felt was a hateful lawpassed by Helena trampling on local rights to run Bozeman as an inclusive community.
During her comments before stating her vote, Commissioner Bode said that on July 8th I said
it would be absurd for the city to fly the Gadsden flag. That is NOT what I said. I said it wouldnot be a good choice for the city to adopt the Gadsden flag as its official city flag because of
the political ideologies that have become attached to that flag over the years. I then equatedthat same stance to the pride flag. In the same way, the pride flag has also become attached to
political ideologies over the years.
In as much as your vote conveys the attitude that y’all aren’t worried about alienation anddivision that comes from political ideologies attached to flags, I would like to make a
recommendation. The response you took to HB 819 was perfectly in line with the originalintent of the Gadsden flag – aka: Don’t Tread On Me. The Mayor said y’all need to figure out
when and where you want to fly the newly adopted municipal flag. I propose that you flyboth the pride flag and the Gadsden flag along side each other. The Gadsden flag is oneof the approved flags in HB 819, so there’s no issue with violation of the law.
By flying the Gadsden flag along side the pride flag, it would convey the spirit from whichy’all say you acted when you adopted the pride flag. It conveys the message to Helena, “don’t
tread on us” – don’t take away our freedoms.
For those that look at flags through a political ideological lens, flying both flags side by sideportrays 180° opposite ideologies thereby giving you full inclusion all the way from the left to
the right. This would be a way to make this decision feel more inclusive for those that look atflags through an ideological lens.
This would be a way of showing the citizens of Bozeman that you won’t stand for anyone
trampling on our rights, you hear all of us, and you represent all of us.
Thank youTonia Dyas
Bozeman property owner and resident