On Tuesday, both the Antioch and Brentwood City Council will discuss policy around displaying the pride flag.
Antioch
The council already has a policy and has flown the flag in the past, however, on Tuesday, they will look to simply adopt a resolution directing the acting city manager or designee to fly the Rainbow flag at City Hall throughout the month of June 2023 in recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Community Pride Month in the City of Antioch.
Last April, the Antioch city Council voted 3-2 to fly the “progress pride” flag through 2022. Antioch first flew the pride flag back in June of 2019. Meanwhile, the Antioch Unified School District also flew the pride flag in May 2019.
Brentwood
Brentwood will hold a discussion after written request from Councilmembers Jovita Mendoza and PA’tanisha Pierson requested the discussion and possible direction to staff to fly the Pride Flag outside at city hall on an existing flag pole as soon as feasible. They also requested a future agenda request to develop a flag policy to establish protocols and procedures for future flag related requests.
According to the staff report, the City also displays military flags in the Council Chambers, and at Veteran’s Park. These military flags are recognized nationally and congressionally. The past practice of the City has been to only display those legally required and governmentally recognized flags at City owned properties
Although, the City has a Half Staff Flag Policy (see attached), long standing City practice has reflected that flags and flagpoles owned or maintained by the City of Brentwood are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public, but rather are a non-public forum. Direction to adopt a flag policy would outline an official policy for the display of any other flag by the City and create an objective standard going forward.
If directed by Council, a Pride flag can be immediately purchased and flown on an existing City Hall flagpole during the remainder of the month of June 2023. Due to only three flagpoles being in place, the City of Brentwood flag would come down to make place for the Pride flag, if the latter is unable to be added to the existing pole with the City of Brentwood flag in place.
Possible direction related to flying the Pride flag, and criteria for other commemorative flags with objective standards would be included in any developed policy. The use of the City of Brentwood flag, and existing Half Staff Flag Policy may also be incorporated into the general flag policy to be developed
Most recently, the Los Medanos College raised the pride flag on June 5 to kick off Pride Month — see story
Meanwhile, on June 1, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor Ken Carlson on raised the Progress Pride Flag at the County Administration Building as well as attended the flag-raising at the City of Concord. He said as the first openly gay member of the Board, he recognizes that my role and this moment wouldn’t be possible without those who came before him.
Antioch City Council
June 13 at 7:00 pm
200 H Street, Antioch CA
Agenda – click here
Brentwood City Council Meeting
June 13, 2023 at 7:00 pm
150 City Park Way, Brentwood
Agenda: Click Here
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