A Message of Gratitude & Unity – Petition Update
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