JUNE 11, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
Honoring differences with flags makes
for a thorny issue, city council talk
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The, at times, confusing protections
of the First Amendment entangled dis-
cussion of the city flying a LGBTQ+ Pride
flag during a Keizer City Council meeting
Monday, June, 7.
While it is unlikely to happen this year,
the city may still pursue a rotating display
inside the Keizer Civic Center or other
options in the future.
June is National LGBTQ+ Pride Month
and Councilor Roland Herrera requested
information on the process by which the
city could fly a Pride Flag outside city hall
on existing flag poles.
It led to a momentarily heated dis-
cussion regarding what is permitted and
what would be permitted if the city begins
hanging flags representing people and/or
causes.
City Manager Pro Temp Tim Wood
said hanging such flags came down to
a policy decision for the council and the
city staff was willing to draft a policy that
could include outdoor flags, a display
inside the Keizer Civic Center or other
options.
Councilor Ross Day noted that if the
city flew a flag outdoors, it would make
the immediate vicinity around the space a
“public forum.” In practical terms, it means
that if the city chose one cause to support,
such as Pride Month, it would
be legally required to allow all
others access to the same space.
Day used the Confederate
Flag as one example of an
image that would need to be
allowed if the Pride Flag were to
be approved.
That provoked an exchange
between Herrera and Day that
grew heated as both became
entrenched. Herrera suggested
limiting the groups permitted
to those that represent some-
thing that is inherent to who
they are as people, Black, Asian,
LGBTQ+, etc.
Day said it couldn’t be lim-
ited in that way.
It’s not the first time the city
has had to tackle such ques-
tions. During discussions that
took place more than a decade
ago, city officials were wrestling with
whether to allow city residents to broad-
cast their own shows on Keizer 23, the
city’s local broadcast station.
The issue that scuttled the conversa-
tion was essentially the same. If Keizer let
anyone broadcast on the channel other
than city-sponsored events, they had to
let everyone broadcast and could not cen-
sor specific shows or points of view. At the
time, the joking-not-joking fear was that
someone would approach the city with
a show featuring naked bowling and the
city would have no choice but to air it.
“My concern is that once we open
the door, it doesn’t get closed,” Day said
regarding the flags.
Mayor Cathy Clark stepped in to try
and cool the situation between Herrera
and Day and suggested the council’s out-
reach committee consider the issue and
bring options back to the entire council.
“I appreciate the heart and the mes-
sage, but we have to run it through legal
and make sure that we won’t turn public
spaces into spaces that are detrimental to
the community,” Clark said.
Clark suggested aligning the causes
the city selects with those recognized
throughout Oregon.
Councilor Elizabeth Smith added, “I
still think the display case is a great idea.”
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