Woodstock mayor defends move that ended town flying Pride banners

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Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones says being an inclusive community is about more than flying flags once a year.

The mayor addressed her council Tuesday night after concerns were raised by a Woodstock LGBTQ+ advocacy group after their request that Pride banners be exempted from a new policy that ends the practice of flying special-interest flags in town.

The council passed the policy in November. The Rainbow Crosswalk had made a plea before the policy was enacted, then sent a letter in January asking for the exemption, but said it did not hear back.

But Jones said the council has not had any communication with The Rainbow Crosswalk.

“They have not directly communicated their concerns to us, nor asked to meet with us so they can share and discuss their concerns,” Jones said. “They have been dealing instead directly with the press and social media.”

The mayor reiterated that the decision to look at the policy had “nothing to do with Pride flags,” but because producing banners had become a financial burden on the town due to the number of requests.

“A neutral position was suggested by the special committee and accepted by council to ensure we are being fair and consistent with proclamations, banners, flags and lighting requests,” she said, adding: “It is difficult to offer banners to one group and not offer them to all.”

She said it is challenging to find a balance on social issues, but that the “narrative on social media” made it look like they made a “solitary and targeted decision to remove Pride banners and flags,” and that the council does not support the Rainbow Crosswalk group.

During her lengthy address, Jones recognized the importance of Pride flags, but said real progress in society happens because people representing minority groups took “time to sit down with policymakers to build laws and policies that promote equity, fairness and inclusion.”

“I caution anyone that thinks that simply flying a banner checks all the boxes and automatically makes us an inclusive community,” she said, reiterating the town is a “welcoming and diverse” with a broad multicultural society.

“To insinuate any of us are homophobic or bigots is hateful and unfounded,” Jones said as her voice cracked with emotion. “I think it is important for us all to take a step back and try and determine why a flag that is meant to unify appears to be having the opposite effect and is creating division in multiple ways … If flying a flag had that much direct influence over the actions of our community members day-to-day, I’d have lots of flags flying every day.”

Following her lengthy address, Jones asked the town staff to look at the policy again to better define the “heritage” part of the banner policy, but it was the only change suggested.

Following the meeting, the Rainbow Crosswalk executive director Amanda Lightbody said she was not surprised by the mayor’s statement and continued to question the wisdom of the move. She said by making a blanket policy, the town is saying “no diversity is allowed, period.”

“These kinds of blanketed statements, while they may seem like the right action, will not actually give the outcome they think,” she said, noting the neutral stance emboldens hate groups to see the municipality as “someone on their side.”

“When you walk back on diversity you get the hate groups emboldened,” she said. “I don’t think they realize that is a possible outcome, but it is.”

Lightbody said she does not foresee further discussion with the town on the matter and said instead she and the group would continue to advocate for the Pride community in other ways.

“This council will not always be there,” she said. “Sometimes you have to know when to step back and this is us knowing we will step back, refocus. If she doesn’t believe a banner or flag proves a community is inclusive, then we will build that inclusivity without that banner and maybe we will prove her right. We will see.”

Lightbody said the decision will not set the group back or prohibit them from working with the town in the future.

“It’s not: ‘Are we willing to work with them?’ It’s: ‘Are they willing to work with us?'”