Northern California city won’t fly Pride flag on government buildings. Here’s why

The Roseville City Council voted Wednesday to allow only government flags to be displayed on city properties – a decision that means the city won’t raise a Pride flag this month.

The vote comes during Pride month — which recognizes the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and the LGBTQ+ movement — with many audience members in the chamber speaking in favor of adopting a commemorative flag policy so that the rainbow Pride flag could be included on city-owned flag poles.

The council asked city staff to draft two policies to consider: one that would formalize the city’s existing policy of only flying government flags, and a second that would allow commemorative flags.

The council decided in a 4 to 1 vote to maintain its existing policy of only flying the U.S., state of California and city of Roseville flags on its flagpoles. Councilman Scott Alvord cast the only dissenting vote.

In a presentation, Senior Deputy City Attorney Joe Speaker said city flagpoles are not intended to be forums of free expression by the public, but can be used by the City Council for “government speak,” which means the council can express its own voice as the government and not have to exercise neutrality.

“I don’t want our flagpole to be at the council discretion or government speak, and I think that leads us down a really dangerous road,” said Mayor Krista Bernasconi. “It would create a scenario where this council or any council is having to pick winners and losers of who comes to us and asks us to fly their flag. And what is inclusive about that? I have a hard time with that.”

Bernasconi said the city has created a rainbow “We Are Roseville” banner to show its support for LGBTQ+ members of its community, which many audience members held up during the meeting. She said the city has created an inclusion and diversity committee, which advises the City Council on issues of human rights, inclusion and engagement.

“We have shown our support,” she said.

More than a dozen members of the public spoke at the meeting, most wearing rainbow clothing and speaking in support of the commemorative flag policy.

Alvord also spoke in favor of the commemorative flag policy, urging the council to adopt it.

“If this council chooses to fly a rainbow flag down the road, we are allowed to do that,” Alvord said . “If we choose to fly a breast cancer flag down the road, we’re allowed to do that. (The public) doesn’t get a say in that. But if we choose policy one, we are sending a public message saying we are not even open to the idea.”

The majority of the council, however, did not agree.

“I’m running around here being part of the United States of America, I’m running around her being a representative of the city of Roseville for all the people of Roseville,” said Councilwoman Pauline Roccucci. “And for me when when we have the federal flag, we have the state flag, we have the city flag, it means everybody, period.”

Councilman Tracy Mendonsa said he was not in favor of adopting a commemorative flag policy out of concern for the precedent it would set.

“I think labels often reduce people to something less than they actually are,” Mendonsa said. “And we never stop being individuals even as we belong to identifiable groups. Everyone has a flag, everyone has a cause. But we have to be cognizant when we make polices, and this policy tonight is one of the policies, as to how we represent.”

After the vote, some members of the audience stood and raised their voices in protest, prompting the City Council to take a recess.

This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 1:21 PM.