A better way to affirm respect for all

On May 18, Whitefish City Councilor Rebecca Norton asked the City Council, by a show of hands, to support drafting a Council proclamation declaring June “Whitefish Pride Month.” All my colleagues supported it. I was opposed. I want to explain why.

My opposition is not a statement against any resident of Whitefish. Every person in our community deserves dignity, respect, safety and equal treatment under the law. That includes our LGBTQ residents, visitors, workers, families and business owners.

But I believe City Council should be careful when it begins issuing official proclamations around specific identity groups. The goal may be inclusion, but the effect can be something different: the city starts choosing which groups receive formal recognition and which do not.

Whitefish already has a civil-rights policy in its city code. The code prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions, and Whitefish has been recognized as one of the Montana communities with a local nondiscrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation and gender identity protections.

That matters. It means our community has already made a policy statement where policy belongs: in the law. We should enforce that principle fairly and consistently.

My concern is the next step. If the Council proclaims June as Pride Month, then fairness requires us to be prepared to recognize the many other heritage, identity, and minority observances throughout the year. February is Black History Month. March is Women’s History Month. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. October includes Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. November is Native American Heritage Month. 

These are not imaginary examples. Many are recognized nationally or federally.

So the question is not whether one group deserves dignity. Of course it does. The question is whether city government should begin maintaining a calendar of identity-based proclamations. If we say yes to one, how do we fairly say no to another?

I would prefer a more unifying approach.

Rather than declare separate months for separate groups, Whitefish should consider a single, broad proclamation affirming that our city respects and serves all people equally, regardless of background, heritage, faith, race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, political belief, family structure, national origin or walk of life.

That kind of statement would not exclude anyone. It would not rank causes. It would not turn City Council into an arbiter of which identities deserve official recognition. It would simply affirm what I believe most residents already want: a Whitefish where everyone is treated with fairness, civility and respect.

I understand that June is widely recognized as Pride Month. I also understand why some residents want the city to say something supportive. But I do not believe inclusion is best achieved by dividing our community into separate categories for official recognition. I believe inclusion is achieved when city government treats everyone with equal dignity and protects everyone’s rights consistently.

That is the standard I intend to support.

The city’s role is not to decide which identities receive a month of recognition. The city’s role is to protect the equal rights and dignity of every resident, every day of the year. 

I encourage Whitefish residents to participate in this discussion. If you believe the city should keep its focus on equal treatment for all, and not on a growing list of identity-based proclamations, please come to the Council meeting and make your voice heard respectfully.

Giuseppe Caltabiano is a Whitefish city councilor.