The Frisco City Council presented a proclamation recognizing Pride Frisco’s first event last year. This year, the council refused to issue a similar proclamation. (Photo courtesy of Pride Frisco)
Frisco city officials’ claims about policies for proclamations fall flat, organizers say
MELISSA WHITLER | Intern
editor@dallasvoice.com
Pride Frisco has been active in growing the LGBTQ community and its acceptance for the past two years. But the city itself seems to be resisting progress. Despite having issued a Pride Month Proclamation last year when local organizers staged their Pride Frisco event, city hall has decided not to issue a similar proclamation this year. City officials are citing a rotational practice for such proclamations, yet Pride Frisco say officials have not followed that rule with proclamations with other events.
Their refusal takes on extra significance considering anti-LGBTQ legislation — specifically bills targeting transgender youth — that were pushed through the Texas legislative session that ended May 29.
Jon Culpepper, vice president of Pride Frisco, is especially disappointed with this news. What should have been a simple process, he said, has become convoluted and obstructed by city officials. Justin Culpepper, Jon’s husband and president of Pride Frisco, submitted a proclamation request all the way back in January of this year, using the exact same verbiage as was approved last year. They said they submitted their request early because they wanted to avoid any concerns over language and ensure there was enough time to finalize everything.
Soon after, they were told nothing could be set until closer to June and to reach out again in April. But when they reached again in April, they got no response. Then came the beginning of May, and the Culpeppers were told they would have to wait until the city election was over and the mayor and council members were officially decided.
At this point, Mayor Jeff Cheney was running for his third term and involved in a close race but had just approved a repeated proclamation in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
On May 19, after the election was over, Pride Frisco organizers were informed that the council had been advised to follow the practice of rotating proclamations, so if one had been presented during a council meeting the previous year, that organization would not be eligible to receive a proclamation again until next year.
No one had mentioned that policy to them previously, the Culpeppers said, and the city had not been following that rule when it came to proclamations for other organizations or events. Earth Day, for example, has gotten a proclamation every year for the past three years, and there have already been five proclamations this year that were repeated from last year. Garden Week, which has also historically been sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been approved for the last seven consecutive years.
The Culpeppers said they have been given no reasonable explanation as to why the Pride Month proclamation is being handled differently this year. Last year it was well received, they said, with more than 5,000 people attending last year’s Pride event — including an especially large group of LGBTQ youth.
This is why Jon and Justin Culpepper say they are so disheartened by the city’s failure to pass the proclamation this year. “These kids deserve better,” they said.
Not willing to accept defeat, Jon Culpepper proposed to the city that the mayor present the Pride Month Proclamation at FC Dallas’ Pride Night, happening June 3 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Pride Frisco, which is the only LGBTQ resource group covering the area. However, he learned late Wednesday, May 31, that the mayor will not be attending the FC Dallas Pride Night event.
Even as the Pride Frisco organizers have struggled to get their event recognized, the Culpeppers said, the Women Veterans’ Day Proclamation has already been approved and advertised for June 6.
After last year’s meaningful progress with acceptance and recognition by the city, the Culpeppers said it is disappointing to them that this year city hall is refusing to publicly acknowledge and support Frisco’s LGBTQ residents. While the city claims to promote diversity and inclusion, city officials’ actions are saying something else, the men added.
This whole exchange has felt very dismissive, the Culpeppers said, with city leaders seemingly more concerned with procedures and policy than with their constituents. There are undoubtedly LGBTQ residents of Frisco whose interests and lives are being ignored by city leaders, they added.
This is an issue of recognizing human rights and affirming the value of queer lives, the Culpeppers said, and that is something that cannot be pushed aside or waited on.
So while Culpeppers are disappointed by city officials’ refusal issue such a simple proclamation, the Pride Frisco organizers have proclaimed that they will continue to show up and support their LGBTQ community.
