The Charlotte suburb town of Pineville refused to vote on a two-month old request to recognize Pride month with rainbow flags flying in the town’s central shopping corridor.
The lack of action from Pineville’s town council came June 11, in the week preceding Mecklenburg County’s Board of Commissioners (two members, specifically, County Commision Chair George Dunlap and District 1 representative Elaine Powell) refusal to allow a vote on a proclamation recognizing Pride month in Mecklenburg County, which is home to Charlotte and the suburb town of Pineville.
Owner of Carolina Scoops Ice Cream Shop Sara Longstreet said she sent an email to Town Manager Ryan Spitzer and Mayor David Phillips requesting LGBTQ+ Pride flags be displayed around town. She said she often works with the town as a liaison between downtown merchants and elected officials.
“An easy way for us to show support and inclusivity in Pineville would be to line Main Street with rainbow pride flags for the month of June (just like we do during the holidays with American flags),” Longstreet wrote in her May 3 email. “This small gesture of acknowledgment, recognition and support will make a big impact in our community.”
According to emails given to The Charlotte Observer by Longstreet, Phillips claimed he hadn’t heard back from fellow council members in reference to a vote on Longstreet’s request. The reply was dated May 28, just four days before the first day of Pride month.
Then in a separate email forwarded by Phillips to Longstreet, he wrote that he felt allowing Pride flags to be flown would “open the door” to others asking the town to fly other flags throughout the year. He also went on to say businesses “have the right and opportunity to recognize Pride Month in ways of their choosing,” as long as they maintain “efforts to respect everyone’s feelings,” Phillips wrote in the email.
Longstreet decided to make her request in person during the council’s meeting on June 11. During her presentation, which was just labeled as “Sara Longstreet presentation,” on the agenda, she repeated her request to have Pride flags in town, as well as suggested having a small, family-friendly Pride festival downtown. She also presented over 80 letters from residents supporting Longstreet’s request.
However, because the town listed her presentation under new business and not action items, Longstreet’s request couldn’t be taken up for a vote.
“The room was uncomfortably silent,” she said. “No questions, no comments. Just an older woman standing up behind me in protest with her arms folded, and then some hateful comments written about my efforts on social media as word got out to residents.”
Longstreet said despite this year’s request being ignored, she isn’t going to stop advocating for the marginalized in Pineville.
“We are a diverse suburb of a major metropolitan city and have a young LGBTQIA+ community that needs to be acknowledged, supported and celebrated,” she said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer. “I lead with love and positivity, and feel it comes back full circle in the end.”