LGBTQ+ community in Lubbock protests their city council's failure to pass a Pride proclamation

Dressed in solid, vibrant colors, members of Lubbock's LGBTQ+ community seated themselves in a way that created a rainbow in the city council chambers Tuesday. They were silent, but their message for the council was loud and clear: they want to feel seen by city officials.

And right now, they feel invisible to their elected leaders. For weeks, local activists reached out to officials asking for a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Lubbock, which could have been read before or during the annual Pride event.

Those requests went unanswered by most of the council — in communications shared by LubbockPRIDE, councilperson Christy Martinez-Garcia responded in the days following the event on June 10, saying she was unavailable when they reached out but asked how she could help secure the proclamation. Councilperson Mark McBrayer, who said citizens will have disagreements over “sexual politics,” said it would be improper to issue a proclamation.

“We want to be acknowledged,” said Nick Harpster, the public relations and advocacy coordinator for LubbockPRIDE. “Whether they agree with us or not, whether they want to make a proclamation or not, we’re still here and want to be represented.”

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