City officials and community leaders gathered to raise the Progress Pride flag at Morgan Hill’s Civic Center Plaza June 13, with speakers emphasizing hope and resilience amid what they described as a challenging political climate for LGBTQ+ rights.
The ceremony, emceed by Morgan Hill Human Resources Director Michael Horta, drew dignitaries including former councilmember Rene Spring, a noted champion of the LGBTQ community in Morgan Hill; former mayor Steve Tate; school board Trustee John Horner; City Manager Christina Turner; and Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas.
Yozer Wang, former president of the Oakwood school Pride Club, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address, drawing parallels between the Pride flag and the ancient Greek myth of Pandora’s Box to underscore the importance of hope.
“Our outlook may seem a bit darker, and our spirits, perhaps a bit dimmer,” Wang said. “So today, I wanted to not just speak about the Pride flag, but also what it represents: Hope. In my incredibly humble opinion, I believe that hope is the most powerful emotion that humans can have.”
Wang explained the symbolism of the Progress Pride flag, designed by Daniel Quasar as an evolution of Gilbert Baker’s original 1978 Pride flag. The newer version includes white, blue and pink stripes for the transgender community, brown for communities of color, and black for those lost in the AIDS epidemic—all arranged in an arrow pointing toward progress.
“In a world where the LGBTQ+ community is still vilified and persecuted, this flag shines as a beacon against that hate and malice,” he said. “It is a shield against cruel words, and a banner that shows us how far we’ve come, but insists that we can go so much further.”
The ceremony highlighted the LGBTQ+ community’s growing visibility in the South Valley, one of the most conservative areas of Santa Clara County. Terry Hernandez, president of Pride Social South County, emphasised the responsibility this creates.
“We are the most conservative area of Santa Clara County, and with that comes being very diligent and very mindful of where we’re at, but at the same time, bringing visibility to our area,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a small town, a rural town, or a big city—we are everywhere.”
Morgan Hill Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Martínez Beltrán traced Pride’s origins to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. The uprising led to the first Pride parade in 1970 and eventually to Pride Month celebrations nationwide.
“Pride, as a concept, is a movement for being proud of who you are no matter who you are,” Beltrán said. She emphasized the value of diversity, saying differences “really make us better, it makes us stronger.”
Martinez Beltrán reflected on the impact of local advocacy work, noting Pride Social’s growth from inception to becoming a nonprofit organization that launched Morgan Hill’s first Pride celebration.
“It has been so wonderful to watch Pride Social and all of the people who work with them and helped get them off the ground, from their inception to where they are now,” she said. “A not-for-profit here in Morgan Hill that helped start our first Pride celebration. That tells me that it does matter, in seeing where this celebration has evolved to.”
Arenas invoked civil rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson, a leader in the Stonewall riots, saying, “There is ‘No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.’”
Arenas acknowledged current challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community while calling for continued activism. She quoted author L.R. Knost: “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention.”
Wang urged attendees to remain politically engaged, and to not give up hope for progress on LGBTQ+ rights in spite of the recent nationwide cultural shift toward conservatism.
“Now, more than ever before, it is so important that we push for queer visibility and LGBTQ representation,” he said. “I urge you, speak out against hate. Create a safe space for LGBTQ+ voices. Support queer artists and businesses, increase access to mental health support, keep educating yourselves, learn about what is happening in our political climate today, advocate for legislation that supports equality, vote for people who support the community, and donate to LGBTQ+ organizations.”
The ceremony concluded with a performance of “Unruly Heart,” a musical number from South Valley Civic Theater’s upcoming production of “The Prom.” The musical highlights the struggles and triumphs of a young queer woman in a conservative small town, and producers believe its message will resonate in Morgan Hill.
“To be quite honest with you, it is going to be hard,” Wang said at the conclusion of his address. “It will feel like we are going backwards sometimes, but it’s okay to feel tired, and most importantly, don’t you ever lose hope, and never stop trying to make the world a better place.”
Disgusting