The Bend City Council.

June is Pride Month in Bend. This month, and every month, the city of Bend stands with the two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) community as they declare their Pride in who they are and whom they love. We call upon the people of Bend to recognize the achievements of our local queer community, to celebrate the great diversity of our community, and to wave their flags of Pride high.

Last Saturday, many of us city councilors were at the Pride celebration in Drake Park working the city booth and enjoying the event with our families. We saw positivity and inclusion, but what really stood out to us were the large number of families and young people who felt free to be who they are without judgment and hate. The newly painted rainbow crosswalk was celebrated and became an impromptu photo spot. One parent wrote online that the crosswalk will make her transgender children feel seen and safer. Others told us in person they hoped it would remain year-round as a symbol of the city’s support for our queer community.

People who came to the city of Bend booth also wanted to know how we could keep them safe and like they belong in our community. They knew that some people had already tried to deface the crosswalk or were protesting in person at the park. While we know these acts were done by a small minority of people seeking to spread hate, they serve as a reminder to us that one beautiful event doesn’t overcome years of discrimination. And it reinforced the need to be steadfast in our active work on hate speech and inclusion.

Our Pride Month proclamation, approved unanimously by Council, is part of this work. It reads in part:

“The month of June is designated as Pride Month in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots, which occurred during the weekend of June 27-29, 1969, in New York City – giving birth to the modern 2SLGBTQIA+ civil rights movement.

During Pride Month, we are reminded that our remarkable diversity is a gift that makes all of us stronger, and we recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals who are still fighting to live freely and authentically.

This month we celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals as crucial community members who contribute to the cultural, civic, and economic success of the city of Bend as part of our dynamic queer community. Members of the queer community are our family, friends, neighbors, leaders, and co-workers who deserve to live freely and fully, equally deserving to love and be loved.

We recognize the residents, students, employees, non-profit organizations, and business owners who contribute to the enrichment of our city, and who are a part of our diverse and growing 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Bend. We are committed to supporting visibility, dignity and equity for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in our community.

Ending violence and discrimination against the queer community demands our continued focus and diligence. We are currently witnessing attacks across the country on the dignity and rights of all 2SLGBTQIA+ people, but most specifically transgender adults and youth who are being targeted and denied basic healthcare and human rights. It is vital that our community not be silent nor avert our eyes from the threats our queer community members still face today. As leaders of the city of Bend, we affirm our commitment to do more to support the rights of our 2SLGBTQIA+ community members.”

The story of Bend Pride should be one of unity and acceptance for queer people who have fought hard to gain their full civil rights. As your Bend City Council, we pledge to keep up this work so that the positivity and inclusion of Pride is felt all year long.

No matter who you love or what your gender identity is, you are welcome in Bend.

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column.