The City of Morgan Hill marked a decade of celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion June 3 as community members, elected officials and city staff gathered at Civic Center Plaza for the 10th annual Pride flag raising ceremony.
The Progress Pride Flag was raised in front of the city council chambers during a ceremony organized by Pride Social South County, a volunteer LGBTQ+ nonprofit, and hosted by Michael Horta, the city’s human resources director. City Council Member Yvonne Martinez Beltrán and former Council Member Rene Spring spoke to a crowd that included Mayor Mark Turner, Police Chief Shane Palsgrove, several county and state representatives and dozens of community members.
Spring, who became Morgan Hill’s first openly gay elected official when he joined the city council, reflected on why the annual ceremony matters. He recalled the isolation he felt when he first took office and urged the city to do more for its LGBTQ+ residents.
“A healthy Morgan Hill includes a healthy queer community, period,” Spring said. “If you want to come and ask us to pay more taxes or support more development down the road, you are not going to get my support if you don’t do something for our community.”
Spring argued that supporting Pride is not only a matter of values but of smart business, particularly as younger workers seek employers who reflect their beliefs.
“The young generation, the Gen Z generation, they expect that right,” he said. “They are looking for employers—and the city’s an employer, too—that actually believe in causes like ours. That’s why it’s a smart business decision to support pride events, flag raising, and pride groups, not just during the month of June but every day.”
Martinez Beltrán highlighted a milestone from the night before: the City of Los Gatos raised its Pride flag for the first time in the city’s history, a development that drew cheers from the Morgan Hill crowd.
“And in the City of Gilroy, people had to collect signatures and raise money in order to raise the Pride flag,” Martinez Beltrán said. “Nobody should have to pay to feel welcome or be recognized.”
Horta noted that the Progress Pride Flag’s chevron design differs from the traditional rainbow flag in a few ways meant to symbolically portray the work that still remains in queer advocacy.
“The chevron arrow points to the right, symbolizing forward movement,” Horta explained. “Its design on the left side of the flag indicates that, though progress has been made, there is still work to be done in supporting marginalized groups within the community. The layout serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and acceptance.”
Terry Hernandez, founder and president of Pride Social South County, also announced that South County Pride will be held Aug. 8. It will be a family-friendly daytime event with an evening after-party, following requests from Morgan Hill residents to be included in a regional celebration.
“After feedback from all of the queer community in South County, we were told by San Martin and Morgan Hill residents, ‘Can you please include us?’” she said. “It’s open to everybody, so we hope to see you there.”
