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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Fresno County supervisors took up a arguable point Tuesday, which would dictate however the region decides what events and celebrations its departments tin instrumentality portion in, including Pride Month.
It was lasting country lone wrong the Fresno County Board of Supervisors gathering Tuesday morning. Dozens showed up to dependable concerns implicit a argumentation they judge targets the LGBTQ+ community.
“It was benignant of concerning. And past we’re looking astatine platforms, and past Bredefeld’s precise specifically anti-LGBTQ platform, intelligibly doesn’t enactment my household oregon our family,” said Fresno nonmigratory Russ Zokaites.
Zokaites is simply a euphony teacher astatine Fresno State and was astatine the gathering with his husband, Logan McLeod, and their child. The household lives successful the territory that Supervisor Garry Bredefeld represents.
“They are actively seeking to suppress voices, they are actively seeking to soundlessness us,” McLeod said.
It was backmost successful June that Bredefeld requested an audit by the Fresno County Administrative Office aft helium said astir $6,000 of region funds were spent by region organizations astatine Fresno's Rainbow Pride Parade and Festival.
“We got to halt promoting this stuff. We got to halt trying to indoctrinate children,” Bredefeld said.
Bredefeld antecedently proposed an administrative bid that would necessitate the board's support earlier spending wealth astatine a assemblage event. He, on with Nathan Magsig, present believes the events region agencies enactment successful should beryllium limited.
“There’s presently nary written argumentation governing what region departments celebrate," said Fresno County Administrative Officer (CAO) Paul Nerland.
The committee was presented with 3 options to ballot on:
- Departments are required to bring projected celebrations earlier the committee for approval.
- County holidays and immoderate further events approved by the CAO.
- Celebrations strictly constricted to board-approved holidays and proclamations.
“If we’re going to person the region enactment astatine a [cultural event]… myself oregon immoderate subordinate of the committee is required to bring a solution oregon a proclamation anterior to the lawsuit successful bid for the region to enactment successful that event?” Fresno County District 1 Supervisor Brian Pacheco asked.
Some supervisors pushed back.
“I recognize you’re focusing connected Pride Month. I’m focusing connected everything else," said Pacheco.
Saying this ballot would not conscionable interaction Pride Month, but different assemblage events arsenic well.
"They are professionals, they person much accusation than we do, and they should marque those decisions regarding nationalist wellness oregon immoderate lawsuit that is. They've done it successful the past," Pacheco said.
The holidays Fresno County volition admit are:
- New Years Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Presidents Day
- Cesar Chavez Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
According to the connection successful enactment 1, if a region bureau wants to enactment successful a vacation oregon lawsuit extracurricular of this list, they would request to taxable the lawsuit six months to a twelvemonth successful beforehand for the committee to o.k. it.
"I too, disagree that we're going to micromanage due to the fact that we can't deliberation of everything we're going to bash each twelvemonth and radical are going to beryllium near retired and we should correspond each the people, not our idiosyncratic beliefs," Pacheco expressed. "Because arsenic 1 talker said, her values are not my values."
Supervisors had a three-to-two ballot to research enactment 1, asking the CAO to draught a argumentation that is clearer and little ambiguous. This treatment volition instrumentality connected September 9 oregon 23 for last support of the policy.
Residents said they volition proceed to amusement up to person their voices heard.
