Dear Fellow Petition Signers,

First and foremost — THANK YOU. Your signatures, your voices, and your solidarity meant everything in this fight.

We are writing to share an important update: our petition, with over 1,000 signatures, was sent directly to the Mayor and every member of the City Council. Sadly, out of the entire Council, only one City Council member took the time to respond. Despite our repeated calls for a Town Hall Forum where we could openly discuss the Banners and be heard as a community, the Mayor and City Council chose not to provide us with that opportunity.

We do want to acknowledge that the Mayor issued a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month (for the third time) at the May 28 City Council Meeting. While we appreciate the gesture, many of us felt it rang hollow. Words on paper mean little when our community's direct requests for dialogue were met with silence. A proclamation doesn’t provide visibility, and it is not a conversation. True belonging doesn’t come from declarations - it is built when leaders take action, invest their energy, and show up when it is uncomfortable. We deserve more than symbolism, and we will continue to ask for it. As disappointing as this has been, here is what we know to be true: city leaders may have stayed silent, but WE were not.

We stood united. We showed up. We fought for what is right. And that matters more than we can put into words.

LGBTQ+ history is, at its core, a history of perseverance. From Stonewall to the streets of cities large and small, our community has always faced resistance and has always risen above it. We have been told to be quiet, to go away, to accept less. And every single time, we have answered with love, with pride, and with an unbreakable will to move forward. The banners we fought for are more than fabric and color; they are a declaration that we belong here, that we are seen, and that our existence cannot be erased.

This chapter may not have ended as we hoped, but our fight is far from over. History has shown us that progress is rarely handed to us; it is earned, step by step, voice by voice, signature by signature. Adding your name to this petition was a meaningful act that is now part of our community’s legacy.

Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for refusing to be silent. We will continue to advocate, organize, and show up because that is what our community does.

For now, let's celebrate! One of the most powerful things we can do is show up, visibly and joyfully, together. We encourage every single one of you to attend all of the Pride festivities in our area this season. Every person who walks through those events sends a message that our community belongs here. We are proud, and we are not going anywhere!

Beyond celebrations this June, please remember to support our local LGBTQ+ non-profits, allied organizations, and LGBTQ+-friendly businesses. These are the people and places that show up for our community every single day, not just during Pride month. When we spend our dollars, donate our time, and raise our voices in support of those who stand with us, we build a community that is stronger and more resilient than any banner controversy could ever diminish.

Fly those Flags! Our community thrives when we take care of each other.

Happy Pride Month, Queens! Don’t forget to hydrate, wear sunscreen, overthrow heteronormativity, and be the Gay Agenda!

With gratitude for those who made a way, solidarity with those still fighting, and Pride in those becoming themselves, 

~ Your Queer Elder 

[ORIGINAL PETITION]

You have the power to make a difference right here in your own community. If you have been following this story and feeling helpless, like there is nothing you can do, this is your call to action. This is your moment to turn that frustration, that heartache, and that sense of injustice into something real and tangible.

By signing this petition, you are standing alongside your LGBTQ+ neighbors, their families, and everyone who believes that Wenatchee should be a city that keeps its promises. You do not have to attend a meeting, make a speech, or put yourself out there in ways that feel uncomfortable or unsafe. You simply have to add your name, and in doing so, you join a growing chorus of community members who are saying loudly and clearly that this is not okay.

What happened in Wenatchee is not just a disagreement. It is a failure of process, fairness, and leadership.

A long-standing local organization, the NCW Equity Alliance, followed the rules, applied in good faith, and was rejected on a technicality. Meanwhile, a politically motivated organization, Turning Point USA Vector, was approved within 24 hours to place banners across the city during Pride Month.

Now we know even more:

This decision was never reviewed by elected officials. It was made entirely at the staff level, without public oversight.
The approved application itself may have been incomplete or inaccurate, yet it was still accepted.
The organization behind the banners openly promotes political ideology, despite the City’s clear rule prohibiting political content.
The effort was publicly celebrated and promoted by the Chelan County Republican Party, confirming its political nature.
This is not neutrality. This is inconsistency.

And it matters.

Because June is not just another month. The City of Wenatchee has twice proclaimed it as Pride Month — a public commitment to LGBTQ+ residents that they belong here.

That commitment is now being undermined.

While community organizations were pushed aside, a coordinated political campaign was given a platform on public property — during the very month meant to affirm and support a marginalized community.

That is not just procedural failure. It is a breach of trust.

Wenatchee residents deserve:

1. Transparent decision-making
2. Equal application of rules
3. Accountability from elected leaders
4. A city that stands by its commitments

The petition calls on the City to:

1. Conduct a formal review of the banner approval process
2. Apply standards fairly and consistently
3. Ensure community organizations are not displaced by political agendas
4. Restore public trust through accountability and oversight

The Community is Already Speaking Out.  People are Showing Up. Voices are Being Heard.

Now it’s time to make those voices impossible to ignore.

Sign the petition. Share it. Stand for fairness, transparency, and your community.

Signing the petition on Change.org is a powerful way to show support—but there is no need to donate through the platform. The funds requested there do not go to this cause or the petitioner.

If you want to make a real, direct impact, please consider donating to Wenatchee Pride​, Out NCW, or NCW Equity Alliance. Your support goes directly toward funding Pride events, advocacy, and community support efforts here in North Central Washington.

Read the letters sent to the Mayor of Wenatchee, Mike Poirier, and City Council Members, and Public Works - Here on Medium