Protecting trans people
Regarding your coverage of "San Francisco declares itself a transgender sanctuary city" [Political Notebook, June 13]. Over a year ago, in March 2023, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution entitled "Protection of Transgender and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Youth And Adults." The resolution was introduced by Supervisor Dean Preston's office and drafted with transgender activists, drag performers, and trans and nonbinary youth, including my son. The inclusion of youth voices was critical in that resolution, and I wish it had been recognized more.
While the work of the Office of Transgender Initiatives is important, trans youth have been fighting this alone in the city for a long time. Our kids deserve both support and recognition.
Allyson Eddy Bravmann
San Francisco
All Clayton officials should honor Pride
Clayton is the smallest city in Contra Costa County with a population of nearly 12,000.
In 2010, the "Do the Right Thing" initiative was created in the City of Clayton to help children recognize the core values that represent us all as Claytonians. Integrity, honesty, kindness, responsibility, self-discipline, and courage are those values. Councilmembers proudly give awards to students in the community each year commemorating their adherence to these values. In 2020 "Inclusion" was added to the list of Do the Right Thing core values and, in 2021, the city officially proclaimed June as Pride Month. This move was unanimously supported by the City Council at that time.
Three years ago Clayton volunteers, along with parents of Clayton LGBTQ+ children, established the Clayton Pride organization and pulled together one of the first-ever Pride parades in Contra Costa County. Leaders from communities all across the county have marched together in the parade each year as a show of support. This year, Congressmember Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) was the keynote speaker at the Clayton Pride parade on June 2 in downtown Clayton, with over 20 mayors, county supervisors, councilmembers, and others participating. Thousands of paradegoers were present to cheer them on. However, only two current Clayton City Council members, Holly Tillman and Peter Cloven, marched while the other three, including our mayor, a former mayor, and current vice mayor chose not to participate, despite their campaign promises of support. The vice mayor did give $50 but did not march or otherwise support the parade or cause in general.
We believe that Pride Month should be a time for everyone to put political differences aside as a show of unity and inclusion in our small city. We are proud to call ourselves one of the first, and by far, the largest in our county to throw a Pride parade. We call on each of our city leaders to join us in celebrating Pride and ask them to lead by example and represent all of Clayton. Please, do the right thing.
Larry McNeill
Clayton, California
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