Wyandot Democrats are excited to see the city of Upper Sandusky Mayor, Scott Washburn issue a LGBTQ Pride proclamation. This is a fantastic way to show those in our community that they matter. At large member, Brandon Mooney issued a speech for the occasion.
Today we mark a special moment for Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County. This moment can be summed up in just a few words.
Hope. Love. Support and Acceptance.
These aren’t just small abstract ideas that speakers say to fluff up a speech. These are tangible values that can mean the world to People in our communities. People who don’t feel they’re seen. From the young to the elder these words have impact. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. An uprising started by trans people of color to finally say we’ve had enough. We deserve… no we demand Hope, Love, Support and Acceptance for who we are in our community.
That moment in our history started a transformation. Visibility of the LGBT community became more clear. No longer did we hide and instead we had PRIDE.
The LGBTQ community has endured many things over the decades since; from the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and early 90s that took so many from our community to the Supreme Court finally recognizing marriage equality in 2015. There’s still work to be done though. There are still bridges to be made and minds opened.
That’s why today is such a momentous moment. Upper Sandusky is a small community and it’s recognition of the LGBTQ people within it is a step towards true equality and acceptance. Whether it knows it or not, this proclamation will inspire other communities like ours to recognize those disadvantaged and those often unseen people and show them that they matter. That there is hope, Love, support and acceptance for them.
I want to thank the mayor today for being accepting and issuing this proclamation, but I also want to thank those that fight every day. The kids who are bullied for being different, the teens finding themselves in a confusing world, and the adults in our community living their authentic selfs making things like this possible for future generations.
At the end of the day it truly is about four words: Hope, Love, Support and Acceptance and it is my hope that this proclamation brings those values a step closer to those who need it in our community.
With pride, thank you.