Pierce Co. Council member to avoid chambers while Pride Flag is present

Pierce County Council member Amy Cruver has announced she is refusing to sit in the county’s council chambers while a Pride Flag flies overhead, calling it a distraction that interferes with her ability to engage in meetings.

“My reasoning is that life is full of distractions and disruptions and it’s also full of memories and experiences that can trigger emotions or feelings associated with tangible items. The majority party declares diversity, inclusion, unity and family-friendly events with next week’s Pride Proclamation and it’s now displaying that communities flag and chambers,” Cruver said during a Pierce County meeting. “I just found myself at odds with my responsibility to focus on the people’s business while in chambers and being distracted with the memories or thoughts that the flight creates in my mind.”

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Instead, she will attend the county council meetings remotely via video call. While June is typically known as Pride Month nationwide, July is Pride Month in Pierce County.

Cruver, a Republican close to completing her first term representing District 3, told The Tacoma News Tribune last week that a rainbow flag sits in her line of sight in council chambers and is distracting to her work because it makes her think of uncomfortable things like gay pornography, drag shows and gender-affirming surgeries.

“She went on to call the LGBTQ+ community depraved and scary,” Ursula Reutin, co-host of The Gee and Ursula Show, said. “And then she displayed a number of unsourced photos from Pride events that she said were offensive, along with a partially-obscured picture of someone’s genitalia following gender-affirming care surgery.”

Following Cruver’s comments, the chambers fell silent for approximately 10 seconds before Council Chair Ryan Mello said he is “quite pleased” the council has decided to raise a symbol of inclusion, love and welcoming for all people in our community.

Mello is the first openly gay person to lead the Piere County council. Alongside Mello’s signature on the Pride Proclamation document — stating July is the county’s Pride Month while establishing month-long commitments to the community — were signatures from District 5 Representative Marty Campbell, District 6 Representative Jani Hitchen and District 7 Representative Robyn Denson.

The three Republican members of the council did not sign their names to the document, according to The News Tribune.

“For anyone concerned about triggering or boycotting events where there have been photos associated with something you find offensive, I would say, boycott the NFL,” KIRO fill-in host Travis Mayfield said. “You want to look at offensive things? Look at NFL parking lots prior to games when everyone’s drinking. Try standing on an NFL sideline, which I have done as a reporter, and listen to what the front-row people are yelling at the cheerleaders or any female reporter.

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“By the same standards, you should find that triggering and offensive,” Mayfield continued. “Maybe the council members should start boycotting the Seahawks.”

While it’s the first year the Pride flag has adorned the roof of the council chambers, it is the fourth consecutive year Pierce County has signed a Pride Proclamation.

“I am embarrassed and ashamed by her comments, I am embarrassed for her,” Ursula added. “She said she thinks that the LGBTQ community is depraved. What I think is depraved is that she doesn’t think she can sit in a room with a pride flag without her mind going elsewhere.”

“If we have a rainstorm and she walks outside and there’s a rainbow, what is she going to do? Flee back into her house?” Mayfield asked rhetorically. “Like come on, this is so completely unhinged.”

Cruver is running for re-election in November. Mello has announced he is running for Pierce County Executive.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.