When the Gay community decided they needed a flag symbol they could have chosen just about any design. They selected a bright rainbow flag knowing full well that it would be attractive to small children; Lisa Frank school supplies were very popular at the time. Our local government is making a tradition of flying the rainbow flag, loud and proud with zero regard to the impact it has on small children. This action forces parents to struggle to answer age inappropriate questions asked by their suddenly curious children. I asked Council, since every June they force us to focus on LGBQ issues, to declare were they stand on transitioning minors. Their response? They pretended not to hear that question and told me they will get back to me about the other issues I raised.

This was the June 10th comment I made to Borough Council:

During the last primary election I checked the utility closet in St Gerts and found that it is still water damaged with what looks like a lot of mold. When will the down spout be replaced to prevent rain from getting into the room. When will the room be cleaned up and repaired?

I received this plastic bag from a restaurant in Upper Merion. It reads “Reusable, Recyclable & Biodegradable”. Apparently Upper Merion’s plastic bag ban has been amended. What is the status of my repeated requests to amend Borough Council’s plastic bag ban?

Last month during Council’s discussion about flying the rainbow flag, two Council members insisted that this is not a political gesture and that they have strong personal support for the LGBQ community. Please hold on to that thought for a minute. On the other side of the table Councilwoman Conicelli-Emery felt the need to educate me on the meaning of the letter “I” in the context of the LGBQ community. After thinking all this over it occurred to me that she may have a good idea.

If you take the concept of educating residents about the lesser known letters of the initialism and couple that with the desire to show personal concern you you have an opportunity to truly show more support than the political gesture of flying the rainbow flag. Council members individually could make a personal post holding up one of the lesser known letters. You could then explain to the residents the details of what that letter represents.

Continuing along these lines, it is possible to provide even more educational support when you consider the plus sign at the end which represents additional identities not captured by the letters within the initialism. I’m under the impression that there are over fifty genders, orientations and identities that have been defined so far. Individual Council members could show sincere support for the wider LGBQ community by educating residents about those identities that haven’t yet been given enough attention.

I agree with the Mayor that everyone should be treated equal. When it comes to Borough government it’s not just a nice idea – it’s the law!

Borough’s flying of the rainbow flag creates a particularly troubling concern, that needs to be addressed. In all these years Council has never indicated if they support the gender transitioning of children and young adults. We also need to know, does Council approve when schools hide this intention from parents? Every year Council raises the rainbow flag with a smile and a wink but leaves this life changing issue flapping in the wind. Every school day impressionable kids ride by your flag, your continued silence implies your support for transitioning. Council needs to be clear about where you stand on this issue! It’s not good enough that you tell me and this room, you need to tell the kids and everyone else who sees your flag – are you for or against transitioning minors?