By Lucille Stutesman | Stonewall News Northwest
Wenatchee will no longer accept banner applications amid backlash after the city opted to fly conservative Turning Point- backed family month banners instead of Pride banners in June.
“This decision reflects the City’s commitment to the overall health and cohesion of our community,” Wenatchee HR director Kim Oglesbee said in internal emails obtained via records request. “The level of division that has emerged around this program is not conducive to a productive or collaborative environment, and it is important that we take steps that support the city’s well‑being.”
The decision was made May 5 by the mayor of Wenatchee, Mike Poirier. Current applications will not be affected, meaning Turning Point USA Vector’s Family Month banners will still go up in June instead of Pride banners.
Issue center of Thursday city council meeting
The Wenatchee city council had a 20-minute round table regarding the banners ahead of their regular council meeting on Thursday.
Councilmember Jose Cuevas argued LGBTQ members of the community should “move on with your lives.” He said gay members of his family are saying the same thing.
“They’re all welcome, everybody’s welcome,” he said. “It’s just a banner. Let’s move on with our lives.”
Councilmember Top Rojanasthien was one of the lone voices in favor of the Pride banners.
“It was not easy for me to keep up to date on the ongoings of this banner issue,” he said. “Since I’ve been a council member, I think the city has proclaimed twice that the month of June in this town is known as Pride Month.”
The banners were at the forefront of the public comment portion of the Wenatchee city council meeting.
“The issue that we’re debating today really is a free speech issue,” said Keyton Lawter, the founder of Turning Point Vector. “These banners allow citizens to have a voice in what’s displayed in their city.”
Local attorney Catherine Houser called out Lawter by quoting a profile where he stated he has “taken on the battle of replacing the gay pride flags” from Wenatchee streets.
“That is his intention,” she said. “It’s not to celebrate family month. It’s to share the values of his organization. It’s to replace the gay pride flag, and that’s why this matters.”
Lawyer Ben Jordan said the move by the city could even cause legal repercussions from the ACLU.
“This isn’t a free speech issue, this is dealing with equal protection and due process,” he said. “And those rights have been offended.”
Community members brought up the recent murder of a 19-year-old transgender woman in Seattle last week, saying visibility is needed now more than ever.
“These debates around Pride banners in our small town is not removed from these events, no matter how small they may seem,” said East Wenatchee resident Allison Bittinger. “So which side are you on?”
Military veterans also spoke up, arguing the banner policy could threaten banners that fly during Veterans and Military Families month in November.
“These banners don’t just reflect artwork, these banners reflect a way of life that we had to live,” said resident Ron Bruno. “They’re a part of our healing process.”
The roots of the dispute
The family month banners in Wenatchee are set to replace the Pride month banners that had flown during June for the last five years.
Family month runs from Mother’s Day in early May to Father’s Day in late June. The family month banners in Wenatchee will fly from June 1 to June 30. The America-colored banners say “freedom” and “America’s Family Month.”
The family month banners are sponsored by local Turning Point USA chapter at the unaccredited school Vector College, which is operated by the controversial Grace City Church.
Turning Point USA was created by conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed in September. The Vector College chapter was founded in the weeks after his death.
NCW Equity Alliance, the group that usually sponsors the Pride Banners, had applied a day before Turning Point, but the application was flagged incomplete by the city due to missing artwork.
The city reached out to Juan Diaz, executive director of NCW Equity Alliance. Diaz did not respond until the next week, which he attributes to a slow-responding vendor.
The city operates on a first-come, first-serve basis for banner applications.
Other groups pointed out that Turning Point filled out their application incorrectly, they had stated “Turning Point USA Vector College” on the application instead of “Turning Point USA Vector, which is the group’s name in the IRS non-profit database.
Only not-for-profit groups are allowed to sponsor a banner in Wenatchee.
The city saw the mistake and categorized it as a clerical error in the application. The application was swiftly approved.
In response, Wenatchee pride group OUT NCW has installed a year-round pride billboard in downtown Wenatchee.
The billboard, located in downtown Wenatchee, is adorned with pride flags and says “you are loved” several times.
In addition, another billboard reading “Love thy neighbor” recently went up in East Wenatchee.
After the council meeting, OUT NCW blasted the City of Wenatchee in a post to their Facebook accusing them of playing favorites to Turning point and other groups applying for banners.
“The contradictions show clear and distinct favoritism being applied by our city’s government,” the post reads. “It cannot be ignored that in both cases, the denied parties are those championing marginalized voices in our community.”
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
