Nearly 20 minutes of back and forth among Cortez City Council members about whether to proclaim June 2026 as Pride Month dominated Tuesday’s meeting, with the measure ultimately passing 5-2.
Council member April Randle opened the debate with a speech defining discrimination as “the unfair judgment, treatment or separation from one’s rights based on a characteristic that a person has no control over or has no choice over,” arguing that discrimination could both promote or marginalize identities.
In an unstable political and economic environment, Randle argued that multiple forces are coalescing to divide the American public. Endorsing Pride Month would further divisions, she said.
“We have scorched-earth political partisanship happening in the world. We have lifestyle branding that’s occurring. We have a collapse of public trust in the government,” Randle said. “These are all forces that are there that we’re dealing with. But there are also forces that are actively promoting division and discrimination based on people’s groups.”
She placed herself firmly against the proclamation, noting that the city did not endorse Asian American Month, National Military Appreciation Month, or Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ‒ all in May.
Following Randle’s 10-minute commentary, council member Bill Lewis stepped in.
“After that lengthy address, I would just like to say I do agree with many things that council member Randle mentioned, but ... when I read this proclamation, everything in here is what the city of Cortez is,” Lewis said.
Lewis said rejecting the proclamation would send a message of exclusion to the LGBTQ+ community, especially since LGBTQ+ individuals can face increased safety and discrimination risks.
“We’re letting that community know that as a city we support you. You’re part of our community. They’re not getting any special treatment,” Lewis said.
Mayor Dennis Spruell affirmed the position he articulated during his campaign which was a “no” vote. He concurred with Randle’s statements on division.
“Such proclamations can unintentionally suggest that some identities are more deserving of acknowledgment or protection than others, leading to a slippery slope of identity-based proclamations,” Spruell said.
One of the new council members elected in April, Claire West, said during her campaign that she was unsure what her position would be on a Pride Month proclamation but she voiced strong support for it Tuesday night, offering her “yes” vote.
“I firmly believe that standing with a minority who feels unsafe in their homes ‒ in their communities ‒ is important,” West said. “Whether it isolates a small group of folks who disagree with that, I think it’s our duty to perpetuate this gesture of goodwill.”
With Spruell and Randle as the only no votes, the proclamation officially designated June 2026 as Pride Month in Cortez, reading, “The City of Cortez is committed to ensuring that every resident can live authentically, free from prejudice, discrimination and violence.”
“Our community is strengthened by the inclusion of all residents, including the LGBTQ+ population, whose contributions across all professions and backgrounds enrich the fabric of Cortez,” the proclamation continues.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
