Trevor Chandler: City Council's decision on Pride flag not indicative of Laconia's inclusive nature

I came out of the closet when I was a sophomore at Laconia High School 20 years ago, and to this day people are amazed when I tell them how welcomed I was as a young gay man in “small-town New Hampshire.” It ran counter to all the stereotypes held about us and put our beautiful little city and state in a new light in their minds. While I no longer live in Laconia, I continue to come home and stay connected to my New Hampshire roots. Another way I stay connected is by reading The Laconia Daily Sun where I was disappointed to read about the City Council refusing to do the bare minimum of demonstrating Laconia’s inclusivity by raising the Pride flag. I’m not disappointed in my city, because I know the people there are just as welcoming and inclusive as they were when I came out two decades ago, but I am disappointed in the City Council. 

I was fortunate to play a significant role in LGBTQ civil rights after graduating from Plymouth State University, working on seven marriage equality campaigns including being a part of the effort to stop the repeal of New Hampshire’s marriage equality law. Despite veto-proof Republican majorities in the House and Senate, and a virulently anti-LGBTQ speaker in Bill O’Brien, it ended up being the largest legislative vote in favor of marriage equality in American history, another badge of honor for New Hampshire. I would end up being recognized on The Economist Magazine’s Global Diversity List as one of the top 50 diversity leaders in public life for the strategies I put in place to secure and defend LGBTQ rights across the country.

Members of City Council saying that a Pride flag is divisive rings as a hollow and sad retreat to a minority that opposes LGBTQ civil rights, that the flag has already flown without issue in previous years flies in the face of this excuse. And if members truly believe it would be divisive, you should not be surprised when your voters are disappointed in you not choosing to be on the right side of history.

I expect greater courage from members who have claimed mantles of leadership at the city and state level. Lazy bureaucratic excuses of the city lacking process for whose flags can fly and when run counter to cities like Somersworth, which under the leadership of Mayor Dana Hilliard have found a way to navigate the issue artfully. Mayor Andrew Hosmer and Councilor Tony Felch have demonstrated a similar thoughtfulness and leadership in the face of a weak-spined council. 

Thankfully, New Hampshire’s and Laconia’s elected leaders have consistently shown more courage over the years on LGBTQ civil rights than the Laconia City Council has shown in this matter. Those leaders will be remembered for standing on the right side of history, while these council members will be included in future Laconia High School civics lessons demonstrating those who allowed themselves to be bullied by those wishing to turn back the clock on civil rights.

There are only a few days left in June to correct this. I hope the council uses them to realign itself with those who stand for continuing to make Laconia a place known as welcoming to all.