This was the third consecutive year citizens and community members gathered in Lubbock’s city council chambers for a silent rainbow sit-in. The demonstration is part of a campaign advocating for the city council to recognize June as Pride Month.
The effort has been largely led by local LGBTQ+ organizations such as LubbockPRIDE, OUTwest Lubbock, and the Lubbock chapter of PFLAG.
Along with the sit-in, organizers and participants have written letters and emails to council members. Democratic executive committee member for congressional district 19, Kim Gonzalez, has taken part in the efforts for the past three years. She said this year, she did not get a response from any council member to whom she reached out.
“Last year, I did get a response from a couple of council members,” Gonzalez explained. “I've talked to some other people that were here participating today, and really no one got much of a response this year, unfortunately.”
Several organizers and participants felt that even their presence in the chambers went unacknowledged by the council.
“We're used to that now,” Gonzalez said. “It was just business as usual in there, as if we hadn't even shown up.”
During citizen comment, speakers are only allowed to talk about items on the city council agenda, but that didn’t stop some residents from drawing attention to one of the reasons folks came out to the meeting.
Another participant, Grace Rogers, is a board member of PFLAG Lubbock and a “proud PFLAG mom.”
PFLAG, or Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, made its way to Lubbock in 1993 and focuses on creating a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Rogers said she also wasn’t surprised by the lack of reaction from council members.
“It would have been nice if they [said] ‘We welcome a group of our citizens here,’” Rogers said. “I'm sure they didn't want to say the word 'Pride.' They didn't want to acknowledge Pride at all.”
After the meeting was over, Lubbock’s Mayor Mark McBrayer made a statement to the media.
Members of the press were called back into a conference room beside the council chambers. A stark contrast to the cacophony of voices and bright rainbow colors filling the lobby of Citizens Tower, this room was almost silent, with bureaucratic grays and navies lining the walls and chairs.
“I want to be respectful to all the citizens of the City of Lubbock,” McBrayer said. “And I respect the right of every citizen of the city to have their voice heard on any issue that is important to them, that concerns this city and concerns them.”
He said that citizens always have the opportunity to come to council meetings, contact the mayor and council members via phone or email, or schedule meetings with them in-person.
“My goal,” he continued. “And I think it is the goal of all of our city council to have a city that is a good and a safe place for people to live, to work, to do whatever it is that they enjoy and to raise families.”
In his statement, McBrayer did not directly acknowledge the protest, the LGBTQ+ community, or the possibility of a Pride Proclamation from the City of Lubbock.
Kim Gonzalez said the intention of a Pride proclamation would be to honor and recognize the contributions of Lubbock’s queer community members: friends, families, business owners, neighbors.
Grace Rogers said showing up and being seen is especially important right now.
“We're an important part of the Lubbock community,” Rogers said. “And because right now, rights for LGBTQ people are being eroded, either by law or by custom, it's especially important to be here.”
State lawmakers filed over 100 anti-LGBTQ bills in this year’s legislative session. Only a few of those passed, but they largely targeted transgender and nonbinary Texans.
One bill (HB 229), signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott will create a legal definition of man and woman when it goes into effect on Sept. 1.
Others would create new mandates on medical records and make it harder to change gender markers, including a penalty for medical professionals who do (SB 1188).
LGBTQ+ children also had protections stripped and resources blocked by Texas legislators (HB 1106, SB 12, SB 13).
In a time when LGBTQ+ rights are being threatened, the rainbow sit-in is a time for people to come together, express their love for the community, and ask for recognition from their government.
“I'd like to say it makes me feel hopeful,” Rogers began. “It makes me feel like I'm connected to people in this community. But if you really want to know, I am not particularly hopeful right now. And I think that's why it's more important than ever to show up, to be dignified, to be in peaceful protest. We were not acknowledged. We were acknowledged by some of the council members afterwards.”
According to Kim Gonzalez, last summer’s demonstration received more attention – both positive and negative – and had more participants than the first year. In contrast, she says this year is the smallest the sit-in has been. Something she doesn’t find surprising given the lack of reaction from city leaders.
Despite feeling dismissed Gonzalez said she will keep coming out and showing her support.
“We just want the council and the City of Lubbock to know that we're going to keep showing up and participate in these peaceful sit-ins,” she said. “Pride Fest is going to keep happening, and our LGBTQ friends and family members are going to keep showing up in the community, just like they always have.”
Rogers said she showed up as an ally during the Civil Rights movement and will continue to do so for all human rights. Her reasons are simple, she feels that advocacy is important.
“Well,” she said, “that's what Americans do.”
Leaving the council chambers, one local organizer said “see you next time.” Be it at Lubbock Pride Fest this weekend, at the next city council meeting, or at the next rainbow sit-in, Lubbock’s queer community and its allies want the city to know that they aren’t going anywhere.
