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Community groups again ask Lubbock city council to recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month

OUTwest Lubbock, a community resource center for LGBTQ+ people in West Texas, has started a letter-writing campaign asking the Lubbock City Council to recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

The campaign aims to recognize the cultural and entrepreneurial contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and declare that Lubbock "is a city that welcomes all." OUTwest is also raising funds for print and media advertising associated with the campaign; its donation goal is $2,500.

After similar requests last year were largely ignored by the city council, LGBTQ+ advocates conducted a rainbow sit-in protest, filling the Lubbock City Council’s chamber with rainbow-themed attire during a late June meeting.

Mayor Tray Payne declined to give comment after last year’s protest, and only two of the seven city council members responded to the initial emails asking for a proclamation, according to LubbockPRIDE.

One of them was Mark McBrayer, who led the recent mayoral race with over 37% of votes and will compete against fellow council member Steve Massengale in a runoff election on June 15th. McBrayer's response claimed it would be “improper” to support last year’s request.

A Pew Research Center study published last June found that a record-high seven percent of Americans are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

OUTwest Lubbock requested that the council issue a proclamation recognizing Pride Month at Lubbock’s 12th Annual PRIDE Festival on June 22. The OUTWest Lubbock website has more information on the Pride Proclamation campaign.

Bishop Van Buren is a reporter with KTTZ who hails from Houston but has developed a deep passion for local journalism since moving to Lubbock and becoming a Red Raider in 2020. Bishop enjoys reporting on sports, culture, and environmental issues.