SOUTHGATE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Pride Month event at the Southgate Veterans Memorial Library has been canceled just days before it was planned, sparking debate among community members.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
Southgate City Administrator Dan Marsh said the decision had nothing to do with Pride Month or the LGBTQ+ community.
Writing in a statement to 7 News Detroit:
The event was a planned Pride Month program at the Southgate Veterans Memorial Library. The decision was made that City funds/resources would not be used to pay for a vendor scheduled to come to the event.
The City’s position is that public funds should not be used to pay for social or political advocacy activities, regardless of the viewpoint expressed. The concern was not about the subject matter of the event or any group of residents, but rather establishing a consistent and viewpoint-neutral approach to the use of public resources.
The City recognizes that Southgate residents have diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, including LGBTQ+ residents, and expects all residents to be treated with dignity and respect.
If the program had been funded by a private donor or outside organization, it would not have presented the same issue regarding the use of public funds.
The annual, hour-long event was to feature free crafts and sparkly tattoos. Megan Jalbert, who regularly attends children's programming at the library with her son Jack, said she was looking forward to the event.
"It just teaches my children the importance of loving everyone and including everyone, no matter what they believe in," Jalbert said.
Jalbert said she received an email notifying her of the cancellation.
"Earlier this week, we got an email stating that this was no longer going to be a Southgate Pride event, but it would be called a Southgate Celebration event," Jalbert said.
Some community members support the city's decision. Steven Lach II said in a message, "I'm about the freedom of speech and expression, but once you start asking for city taxpayer money, that's where I draw the line, and that goes with anything, not just a pride event."
Longtime City Council member Phillip Rauch, who is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said he is disappointed by the cancellation.
"You should be proud of the person you are, and that's what I think pride has taken on over the years, and so, by canceling this, it makes me think that you can't think of anybody but yourselves or your own little group of individuals, and I think that's wrong," Rauch said.
Rauch said the decision has opened a can of worms, with city council members now questioning funding for other events.
"So if that's the case, maybe we need to look at everything, because again, this is one thing, how much money was being spent for an hour event," Rauch said.
I asked Marsh if this policy will extend across all activities moving forward, and I am still waiting to hear back.
The library will still hold an event this Saturday at 2 p.m., but it will be called Southgate Celebration instead of Southgate Pride. It is unclear how that event is being funded.
Jalbert said she and Jack plan to attend.
"We're definitely not stopping coming because they changed the name of the event, so we'll both be here on Saturday to have fun with all of the activities they have planned," Jalbert said.
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