Good Evening Mayor Combs and Menlo Park City Council,
I am following up regarding the Pride Month Proclamation invitation I sent to you below in late April. I am more than happy to attend an upcoming City Council meeting to accept a Proclamation (May 25 or June 8) and would love to support a flag raising as well.
I appreciate your support of equity and inclusion in San Mateo County.
In community,
Tanya Beat (she/her/hers)
Director
LGBTQ Commission
Commission on the Status of Women
County of San Mateo
From: Tanya Beat
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2021 10:42 AM
To: DCombs@menlopark.org; city.council@menlopark.org
Cc: ssreinhart@menlopark.org
Subject: Request from San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission: Pride Month 2021
Dear Mayor Combs & Menlo Park City Council:
I am the Director of the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission and I am writing to ask for your continued support of the LGBTQ community in Menlo Park during Pride Month (June 2021). As you may recall from last year, our Commission organized a county-wide visibility campaign to have all cities and towns in San Mateo County issue Pride Month Proclamations and raise LGBTQ flags during the month of June (full results attached!). We are so grateful that Menlo Park participated by issuing a Pride Month Proclamation and we hope to continue this partnership in 2021! I also appreciate the inclusion programming that Menlo Park Library has done and hope they also consider raising the LGBTQ flag in June.
Below, I've outlined our specific requests for Menlo Park to support Pride Month 2021. We are happy to support your city’s efforts and ask that you contact us with any questions or if you need help. I have also attached an FAQ document that may help with any initial questions. I would be happy to provide more education on the LGBTQ Commission and our 2021 Visibility Campaign at an upcoming City Council meeting. Please let me know if this would be of interest to you and if so, what steps I need to take to get on the agenda.
Pride Month 2021 Visibility Campaign Request (Overview)
For Pride Month 2021, our Commission requests the following support from Menlo Park:
* Issue a Pride Month Proclamation to declare June 2021 as Pride Month in Menlo Park (example)
* Raise the LGBTQ Flag for the month of June
* There are 3 iterations of the LGBTQ flag: the traditional flag, the Philadelphia Pride flag, and the Progress Pride flag. This year, our Commission recommends that cities raise the Progress Pride Flag, which places a greater emphasis on inclusion and equity.
* Attend and participate in the San Mateo County Pride Celebration (June 6-12, 2021)!
* Suggested Updates to City Website:
* The LGBTQ Commission website has a PRIDE Visibility page where you can download and add:
* The LGBTQ Flag
* A short history of Pride Month
* Links to County LGBTQ resources
* Behavioral Health & Recovery Services
* Office of Diversity & Equity
* Pride Initiative
* San Mateo County Pride Center
* Outlet, Adolescent Counseling Services
* LGBTQ Commission
* Coastpride
We thank you for your consideration of the above! The requests and suggestions are intended to bring visibility and inclusion to the forefront of your city for your LGBTQ residents and for the entire community. This visibility and inclusion allows your LGBTQ residents to know that they are seen and that they belong. During this prolonged time of isolation (due to COVID-19), social inequities, racial tension, and societal division we find ourselves in, these simple acts of visibility create a deeper sense of connection and inclusion for everyone in the community.
Best,
Tanya Beat (she/her/hers)
Director
LGBTQ Commission
Commission on the Status of Women
County of San Mateo
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