Upstate Pride’s request for proclamation denied

Spartanburg County Council chair denies request for official proclamation; Spartanburg mayor will issue second annual welcome

by Matt Comer  Editor  editor@goqnotes.com
Published: May 17, 2011 in News

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Organizers of a local Pride festival in the Upstate of South Carolina have been denied their request for an official proclamation from county leaders.

Last year, Upstate Pride met with resistance from members of the Spartanburg City Council when they requested and received an official proclamation from Mayor Junie White. The mayor, who later received an award for his outspokenness in favor of the proclamation, has agreed to issue another welcome to this year’s festival. White will proclaim June 4, 2011, as “GLTBIQ Pride Day.” Spartanburg County Council Chair Jeff Horton, a Republican, has refused a similar request.

“Mr. Horton answered via email with one single word, ‘No,’” Phyllis Wyatt, Upstate Pride president, said in a release. “This one word email response to a respectfully written request from a voting county citizen, with no salutation or added information was disappointing, yet not surprising. We remind Mr. Horton that within his district there reside members of SC’s LGBT community and that supporting his LGBT constituents is fair and balanced constituent representation. Upstate Pride hopes to see change at the county and state level for Equality for all our citizens regardless of their sexual orientation or gender presentation.”

Upstate Pride will take place June, 4, 2011, at Barnet Park, 248 E. Saint John St., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

info: upstatepridesc.org

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Matt Comer is the editor of QNotes, first hired to serve in the role in October 2007. He can be reached via email at editor@goqnotes.com or via phone at 704-531-9988, ext. 202. Follow him online at facebook.com/matthew.mh.comer or at twitter.com/interstateq.

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