This NC town canceled last year’s LGBTQ+ recognition. Now, Pride is back.
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- Wake Forest Mayor Ben Clapsaddle proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month for the town.
- Clapsaddle said the proclamation recognizes LGBTQ+ history and honors local residents.
- Former Mayor Vivian Jones walked back her effort to declare October LGBTQ History Month.
Wake Forest Mayor Ben Clapsaddle designated June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in a proclamation Tuesday, a reversal to the previous mayor’s move scrapping the town’s official recognition of LGBTQ+ history.
At a Board of Commissioners meeting this week, Clapsaddle said the town will join nationwide Pride celebrations next month to recognize LGBTQ+ history and honor LGBTQ residents who have “long contributed to the cultural, civic and economic life of Wake Forest.”
“As the mayor of the town of Wake Forest, I encourage all residents to reflect on the importance of respect, understanding and belonging for all members of our community,” Clapsaddle said in the proclamation.
The move comes after then-Mayor Vivian Jones introduced a resolution last fall declaring October as LGBTQ History Month, which drew opposition from some commissioners and conservative groups in the town of about 60,000 residents.
Jones soon walked back the effort, citing “strong feelings on both sides of the issue,” The News & Observer previously reported.
“Whereas my willingness to issue the proclamation was motivated by my commitment to one of the goals of our Strategic Plan — ‘Fostering a Safe, Diverse and Welcoming Community’ — I now realize that by expressing support for our LGBTQ community I may have unintentionally suggested the Town’s official support for one set of deeply held beliefs over another set just as deeply rooted,” Jones wrote at the time.
That decision became a point of contention in Jones’ reelection campaign, as she sought to explain her stance on LGBTQ issues to voters. She ultimately lost to Clapsaddle in the general election, collecting just 30% of the vote to Clapsaddle’s 70%.
More than ‘a piece of paper’
Amanda Cottrill, a co-founder of Wake Forest Pride, said at the time that Jones’ reversal of the proclamation was a blow to the local queer community.
“People who are queer exist,” she told The N&O in September. “It’s not a belief. We’re here. We’re a part of the community just like everybody else. When I saw that it made me sad for our whole community.”
Cottrill stood beside Clapsaddle on Tuesday as he read the declaration — an effort she said was years in the making and signified more than just “a piece of paper.”
“[Proclamations] send a message,” she wrote on Instagram. “They tell LGBTQ+ residents, families, business owners, youth, and neighbors that they are seen, valued, and part of this community too. No town is perfect, and the work of building belonging is ongoing, but moments like this matter.”
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com.
