Downey votes to no longer fly Pride flag in June

Downey's City Council voted to return to a previous flag policy that only allows for the federal, state, city, and MIA/POW flags. Photo by Alex Dominguez

DOWNEY – A three-year-old decision to fly the Pride flag each June came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when Downey City Council voted to revert back to its previous flag policy, effective immediately.

City Council voted 3-2, with Mayor Mario Trujillo and Councilman Horacio Ortiz in opposition.

Downey flies The United States, California, city, and Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flags year-round. In June 2021, the city council voted to raise the Pride flag each Pride month.

Sometimes known as a “neutral flag policy,” the city council’s most recent action will bar the display of any flag other than the federal, state, local and POW/MIA on city facilities and flag poles.

The issue drew a mix of community members, who spoke both for and against the policy. Both LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco – who as mayor pro tem at the time voted in favor of raising the Pride flag for Pride month – sent representatives to speak in opposition.

Mayor Pro Tem Hector Sosa, who requested the discussion, said that it was “by no means an attempt to silence or spite anyone.”

“I don’t think it’s our role as elected officials to pick and choose which groups get to fly their flags. Our role is to simply govern, and govern for the residents of Downey,” said Sosa. “It is my opinion that the only flags that should be displayed are the American flag, the state flag, the city flag, and the POW/MIA flags.”

Ortiz and Trujillo described it as “a step back.”

“The previous flag policy that we have, implemented and voted on in the past by a past administration, is one that represents a new front of acceptance for our city. Their actions paved a way for Downey’s united sense of community,” said Ortiz. “The reaction to change or alter this new progress feels as though we’re making a bigger statement. As it stands, the flag policy has become a symbol for this change; to move back to a time without it feels as though we’re taking two steps back instead of two steps forward.”

Trujillo said the motion was “a direct attack on the Pride flag,” specifically calling out the conservative Massachusetts-based group MassResistance.

“This motion came about because of a group called MassResistance…MassResistance has been deemed as a hate group by the Southern California Poverty Law Center. Their two goals are basically anti-immigration and anti-Pride flag, let’s be clear,” said Trujillo. “It’s unfortunate that it was brought about through this hate group, who hides behind religious, you have religious people coming forward talking about the Bible, and these are the same families and parents that are prone to kicking out their child who comes out to them.”

Responding to a previous comment made by Sosa, who had said that he had family and friends in the LGBTQ community who he “cared deeply for,” Trujillo said “after tonight, they will not consider you an ally.”

“I just want everyone to be clear, this is an eradication of the Pride Flag. If you’re carving out an exception for the POW flag, this is a direct attack on the Pride flag,” said Trujillo. “It is an unfortunate message that we will send to the community, that at least here in Downey, don’t look to us as allies for your community, at least not the current composition of this council.”

Councilwoman Claudia M. Frometa pushed back on the mayor’s comments, calling them “untrue.”

“This is not an attack on any one community,” said Frometa. “We stand united under the flag of this country that flies, whether it’s war or the Olympics; it unites all of us regardless of race, color, or religion.”

In response to the decision, Supervisor Hahn released a statement, saying:

“I am disappointed in the Downey City Council’s decision, and I worry about the message it sends to LGBTQ+ residents in Downey. Thankfully, the Pride Flag will still fly over Downey this June. My colleagues and I put in place a new policy last year to fly the Pride flag at all County facilities every June – including our eight county facilities in Downey.”