Today marks Governor Tony Evers’ fifth year in office. It’s also the fifth Pride Month in a row that the pride flag has flown over the State Capitol. For the second time, Governor Evers’ has chosen to feature the Progress Pride Flag. In addition to the traditional rainbow, it has a chevron pattern representing people of color and the transgender community. Fittingly, the theme of the day was inclusion and positive change.
Parents brought their children and members of the LGBTQ community came together to watch the raising of the flag. Celebratory music rang out until the event’s official start.
The sizable crowd welcomed each speaker with enthusiastic applause. State Senator Mark Spreitzer and Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Bond kicked things off, both speaking about their experiences as gay government officials.
Senator Spreitzer began by shouting out his husband in the crowd. He says he’s confident that Governor Evers will continue to use his veto power to protect the LGBTQ community against the state legislature’s conservative majority.
Secretary Bond shared his life story to emphasize that seeing other LGBTQ people living happily inspired him to come out. He says this newfound hope enabled him to build the family of his dreams with his husband: “Becoming a father and raising our two sons is truly the greatest experience of my lifetime. With each passing day, my sons’ faces remind me of the responsibility we each have to be true to ourselves and – by doing so – create the community in which we wish to live. Despite my earlier fears, I am able to live openly, I did get married, have children and a successful career.”
Brooke Running, a school counselor in Mt. Horeb, spoke emotionally about her experiences with students from diverse backgrounds. She says even the smallest gestures in the classroom can have a huge impact: “I will never forget, when reading a book about families a student’s face lit up and said ‘that looks like my family.’ Students need windows to see that this world is much bigger than them and their experiences.”
A sophomore from Madison West High School, Avi Mack, also spoke, advocating for understanding and compassion: “Pride – to me – means being yourself. To this day, I wear color all the time, I’m super extra – you can ask any of my friends – and I see beautiful colors in everyone I meet. Humans are filled with so many wonderful emotions and ideas and we forget to stop and see these in each other […] As a nation, we must realize the only way to grow and change for the better is to extend your compassion to others, have uncomfortable conversations with one another, stop ignorance around the issues of our community, and help fight for the rights of others.”
Governor Evers was the last to speak, beginning by saying he’s “jazzed as hell” to celebrate Pride Month. But he also emphasized that this is a month of remembrance and tireless advocacy. He is particularly concerned about recent attempts to ban books and silence LGBT stories: “Just two years ago, we saw the highest number of attempted book bans in 20 decades, many of which relate to LGBTQ people, families, history, and the greater community. Folks, this is breathtaking. Obviously, we can’t let that happen.”
The children’s mental health crisis is still one of his priorities. This epidemic is particularly dire amongst LGBTQ youth. According to a 2022 study by the Trevor Project, a nonprofit suicide prevention organization, 44% of LGBTQ youth in Wisconsin seriously considered death by suicide in the past year, while 74% reported symptoms of anxiety and 59% reported experiencing depression.
The Governor promised to take action to protect the LGBTQ community: “Raising the pride flag today sends a message: for all those who have only ever wanted to belong, who’ve had to find their own family, who’ve never known home…you belong here.”
Senator Spreitzer says the fight for equality under the law is still in progress. The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ caucus has numerous plans for legislation in the coming months: “To repeal Wisconsin’s unenforceable constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, to update state statutes to use gender neutral language to reflect LGBTQ+ marriages and families, to ban conversion therapy, and to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s gender identity or gender expression.”
He is in part referencing a 2004 provision in the state Constitution banning same-sex marriage, which is still on the books. The Obergefell v. Hodges ruling from the US Supreme Court and the Wolf v. Walker from the 7th District Circuit Court both supersede this provision, but the recent repeal of Roe v. Wade now has same-sex marriage advocates concerned. The process to formally ban same-sex marriage in Wisconsin would be long and complicated. However, local government officials who oppose marriage equality may – for example – point to the 2004 provision in order to withhold licenses. The proposal to repeal the Constitutional provision could succeed in neutralizing this threat.
Meanwhile, other local leaders celebrated the start of Pride month. The Dane County Board announced a resolution to designate the county as a sanctuary for transgender and nonbinary people, which they’re expected to pass at their meeting tonight.