Shasta County Supervisors reject LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

REDDING, Calif. — The color scheme in the Shasta County Supervisors Chambers on Tuesday was decidedly rainbow as board members debated whether to designate June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Plus Others (LGBTQIA+) Month."

With Supervisor Les Baugh absent, the board deadlocked 2 to 2 with Mary Rickert and Joe Chimenti voting in favor of the designation and Patrick Jones and Tim Garman opposing it.

The deadlock meant the motion failed.

That was after a lot of, at times, passionate public comment. Here's just a sample:

“Do we praise, or recognize, anyone else for their sexual practices? No, not for adultery, pornography, polygamy, polyamory, pedophilia, bestiality, or other types of fornication. So why is this particular sexual activity spotlighted, and even discussed, in a public county meeting?” Asked one speaker on Tuesday.

“The argument about the book that so many talk about is invalid to me," said another speaker. "And the guy in the sky who I worship, I believe, is about love uniting.”

“I’ve heard people say, ‘what kind of parent am I if my child is gay?’ What kind of parent are you if you turn your back on your child because they’re gay?!" Said another speaker. "People who’ve talked about Jesus The Jesus I know said ‘Love thy neighbor...’ not judge thy neighbor.”

“This whole victim-culture that I was listening to; all these people up here pleading 'stop making your children victims. Make them victors, okay?' Your sexuality should not be your identity. Your identity is how God created you," said one speaker.

“Last week, Dr. David Nicholas, from Shasta Bible College, led the invocation leading into the June 14th board meeting. What proceeded was not-so-vailed bigotry against the LGBTQ community under the guise of religious moral authority," said a speaker.

“I am so happy I was able to reject my parents’ teachings and that I can celebrate my amazing children," said another speaker. "I am so very proud that they trust me to love them unconditionally because that’s really what this is all about: love, in all its shapes, sizes, colors and forms.”

A motion to bring it back for a vote when the full board is present also failed with a deadlocked vote.

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