LGBTQ 'Cherished' By Dublin Mayor, City Lacks Flag Policy: Letter

Dear Editor:

There’s a lot of fearmongering, misinformation and blatant lies floating around on social media and it’s time to set the record straight. People are rightfully angry about outrageous comments made by some members of the public, comments that showed ignorance, bigotry, and homophobia.

While free speech is protected during City Council public comments, it does not mean that I, or anyone on the City Council, agrees with it. I can't stop people from saying outrageous things. In fact, Mayors have been sued for stifling free speech. But I can set the record straight on my position and I realize now how I could have done a better job.

Our City has flown the U.S., California and Dublin City flags exclusively for as long as anyone can remember. The decision to move toward a policy, which would allow the Pride Flag, and other flags, is what I supported. To me, it makes sense to set ground rules for everyone. And no matter how obvious some might think the answer to be, I’ve learned that rushing into a decision is never a good idea.

The decision to wait to put together a policy is just sound governance. This should not be interpreted as lack of support for the LGBTQ community and nobody should tell you otherwise.

Here’s what I believe:

Like all members of our community, LGBTQ are equally cherished and deserve to live here as every Dubliner, worthy of equal love and equal respect and to be fully included.

I support strong laws for the prosecution of hate crimes. I support adoption rights for LGBTQ couples. And I support equal rights under the law. I oppose bigotry, racism, discrimination and hatred of all kinds. Dublin is rich in diversity on many levels, not just LGBTQ, but also in terms of race, religion, and socio-economics. Diversity is one of our strengths.

Walking the talk:

My record of inclusion and anti-bigotry is clear. I signed onto the US Conference of Mayors Resolution Against Discrimination of the LGBTQ community. I championed Dublin’s Proclamation "Dublin is NO PLACE FOR HATE." I supported and sponsored the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance event "Community Conversation: Eliminating All Prejudice in Our Backyard."

I supported the students of the Mayor’s Council "Dubversity" events at DHS. I voted to support the Proclamation of June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The list goes on and on. At the last City Council meeting, every member of the City Council expressed support for the LGBTQ community.

What we didn’t all agree on is how to best express our support. Flying the flag over city hall is one way, and this was the first time we discussed this in a Dublin City Council meeting. In fact, I voted to put the discussion on the agenda.

There are other ways to show support which may appeal to more people and every city is a little different. There is no one size fits all solution. In the past few days, I’ve spoken to many community and elected leaders. I remain 100 percent committed to formalizing our policies and I am absolutely confident we will move forward together as a community.

David Haubert

Mayor of Dublin