Should the pride flag fly over city hall? SLO Tribune readers weigh in | Opinion
Pride flag doesn’t belong at City Hall
I am a woman. I am gay. I have been in a stable relationship for decades. Legally married since 2013.
I strongly oppose the flying of the LBGTQ+ / rainbow flag at Arroyo Grande City Hall. Yet, according to the editorial in The Tribune, I am a bigot and intolerant. Go figure.
My reason for opposing the flag is simple: Let’s fly flags that unite us. Every other flag excludes someone. When we fly the Rainbow flag, we exclude straights. If we fly the Black Lives Matter flag, we exclude other races. If we fly a Women’s Rights flag, we exclude men.
But when we fly our nation, state, and county flags, we include everyone. Isn’t that what good government is for? But The Tribune doesn’t see it that way. The editorial board states, “While some communities have taken the easy way out to avoid controversy — they’ve decided to fly only official government flags … ”
I submit to you it is the Arroyo Grande City Council that is taking the “easy way out.” They are bowing to the bullies who yell, scream and threaten if they don’t get their way. Most likely, some city council members are afraid of being canceled.
Personally, I would love to fly a pro-nuclear-power flag. But I wouldn’t want the City Council to fly it over City Hall. Why? It divides us.
Our personal causes are just that. Personal. Our government represents all of us. Let’s only fly the flags that unite us over City Hall.
Stacy Korsgaden, Grover Beach
Why pride flag matters
People seemed concerned about why there is gay pride and why fly a rainbow flag. Have you ever been spit on, called nasty names or been physically assaulted for being straight? Have you ever been murdered or forced to suicide because you are straight? Have you been arrested for just being in a straight bar and then beaten up by the cops? Have you ever been hassled by the cops just for being straight?
Has your straight meeting place ever been vandalized, shot at, dead animal parts thrown at it and then finally burned out (Orange County). Have you been denied housing or a job because you are straight? How about not being able to be married because you are straight couple? I could go on, but when a group of people is so oppressed, for them to find a little pride is uplifting and necessary.
Being gay is not a choice. That has been debunked so many times. It is also not a lifestyle. Gay people are everywhere, do every job and participate in every hobby. The colors of their flag mean something: red = life, orange = healing, yellow = sunlight, green = nature, blue/indigo = harmony, and violet = spirit. Pretty harmless flag, huh? But one that means so much.
Rick Tibben, Nipomo
Who’s the intolerant one?
To Mr. Tim Stewart and others of like persuasion: From the American Heritage Dictionary: Bigot = “A person of strong conviction or prejudice especially in matters of religion, race, or politics, who is intolerant of those who disagree with him.”
Prejudice = “An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.
A preconceived preference or idea; bias = “The act or state of holding unreasonable preconceived judgments or convictions. Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion.”
Tolerate = “To allow without prohibiting or opposing; permit. To recognize and respect, as the rights, opinions, or practices of others, whether agreeing with them or not.”
The Editorial Board of The Tribune has as much right to express their views as you do. Though they apparently disagree with whatever you wrote, they still printed it. So now who is being bigoted and intolerant?
Susan Levine, Templeton
Sexual orientation is not a ‘lifestyle’
In response to the letter by Tim Stewart on Sunday, May 28, 2023, LGBT “lifestyles” are not counter to biology. I urge Mr. Stewart to read about recent gender identity, sex and genetics research. I doubt he will, though, as many people are fearful of scientific findings that often refute the dualistic thinking that leaves us dangerously stuck, rigid, fearful and biased.
I hope Mr. Stewart remembers that there are not over 500 bills in recent legislatures against the rights of fathers, mothers and veterans in general that he worthily praises. Yet some of these laws actually call for taking children away from some mothers, fathers, and yes, even veterans who are biologically different from him.
Would he approve of denying human rights to those who were biologically different in, say, skin color? But, please, Mr. Stewart, school us on how we mustn’t be intolerant of the ideology of bigotry and intolerance.
Mary Donnelly, San Luis Obispo
Make Europeans pay
North America was settled by Europeans beginning with the Spanish in 1565, followed by the British. In 1607, the London Company founded the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony.
Within 150 years the British had established 13 colonies.
The population was mostly English with a small number of African slaves. In the 18th century, other nations contributed to the ethnic mix such as the Dutch, Scots, Germans and French.
The Southern Colonies had the highest number of slaves in British America.
The American Revolutionary War lasted from April 19, 1775, to Sept. 3, 1783.
The Constitution became effective on March 4, 1789. The results were eight slave and five free states.
The Civil War, which ended slavery, ended May 9, 1865.
Slavery existed in the USA 76 years, from 1789 to 1865.
Conclusion: Reparations for slavery, if any are due, should be borne by European nations and not the population of the USA. If reparations are proposed in order to end prejudice/discrimination that is unrealistic. Prejudice/discrimination takes on many faces and will always plague the world.
Philip Mordaunt, San Luis Obispo
Thanks to MLK scholarship supporters
On behalf of the Martin Luther King Jr. High School Scholarship Fund Board, we would like to thank our community for its support of 17 scholarship recipients from San Luis Obispo High School, Mission College Prep and Pacific Beach High School.
Since 1968 it’s been our honor to raise funds to assist students as they realize their dreams.
Mary Matakovich, president
MLK Jr. High School Scholarship Fund Board
