Pitkin County commissioners were hoping to discuss whether to proclaim June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month during a work session on Tuesday.
They did not get to it, and commissioners have expressed concern over potential federal funding cuts if they move forward with the designation.
The White House cancelled grants to researchers focused on the health of gay, lesbian and transgender people in recent months.
The Associated Press reported the U.S. government terminated at least 68 grants to 46 institutions totaling nearly $40 million.
Cook Inclusive Executive Director Ashley Stahl submitted a letter to the commissioners in May requesting the proclamation, saying that as a former Pitkin County employee, she believes she is the first to openly transition while working for the county. She goes on to say the ask is deeply personal to her.
“I know from firsthand experience that Pitkin County is a supportive and inclusive employer, and I believe this proclamation would be a meaningful way to affirm that commitment publicly and extend it to the broader LGBTQIA+ community,” Stahl stated in the letter.
During a meeting last month, Commissioner Francie Jacober said she is apprehensive about the proclamation because Pitkin County is already standing out for its DEI and immigration policies.
“And the federal government is trying to collect data about people just like us, places just like us,” she said. “Not that I wouldn’t want to do this normally. I am just torn between standing up and fighting and staying under the radar.”
Commissioner Patti Clapper said that when she recently visited Washington, D.C., the status quo was, “do what you need to do, but be careful how you do it.”
“Not that we don’t want to stand up for all of these issues that we believe in, but at the same time, how many more hits can we take?" she said.
Commissioners said the county has already lost funding in public health and senior services, immunization programs and grant assurances.
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Because of this, Pitkin County will allocate $50,000 for the program for seniors this year.
Despite the concerns, all five commissioners expressed support for the proclamation, including Kelly McNicholas Kury.
“I think our reputation precedes us, and if they want to hold money back for things they don't like Pitkin County for, then they don't need this resolution upon which to make that decision,” she said. “We have a long history of progressive policy.”
McNicholas Kury said the proclamation is something the county should have been doing every year anyway.
“We have colleague counties who hang pride flags for the month of June who are far more outwardly expressive in their support than we have ever been,” she said.
“As much as we may feel stressed out from a privileged position, I think we have staff and members of our community that are bearing the brunt of this exclusion more intimately on a daily basis, and I would like to support them,” she added.
No board decisions were made Tuesday, and county staff agreed to work with grant consultants and lobbyists to find appropriate wording for the proclamation that will lower the county’s risk of additional funding cuts.
The town of New Castle declared June as Pride Month during a meeting on Tuesday.
Cook Inclusive is hosting a pride parade during Carbondale’s First Friday this week, as well as a pride celebration at Glenwood Springs’ Two Rivers Park on Saturday.
