Pride Flag to Fly in Irvine

On a 4-1 vote, the Irvine City Council has approved flying the Pride Flag in Irvine annually from Harvey Milk’s birthday through the end of June. The effort was led by Farrah Khan and Melissa Fox and Mayor Christina Shea was the lone “no” vote.

The rally was sparsely attended but the comments from the residents were overwhelmingly in favor of flying the Pride flag.

From the Voice of OC story:

The resolutions were proposed by council members Melissa Fox and Farrah Khan, both Democrats. The item received broad public support, with several dozen protestors led by Khan and Fox raising the flag outside City Hall before the council’s meeting and a wide majority of comments submitted to the panel calling for the approval.

“I know for both of us, we have worked hard on a variety of issues to support our local LGBTQ community,” Khan said at the dais. “There is no better place to showcase that message than right here at our own City Hall.”

Council members Anthony Kuo and Mike Carroll also voiced support, with Carroll mentioning other cities that had approved similar resolutions in previous years and Irvine’s opposition having left it as an “outlier.”

Mayor Christina Shea, the lone dissenter, said she thought the decision to open up opportunities for commemorative flags would be “problematic.”

“We have three flags we fly, we have 150 languages here, and to have every individual group flying their flag during the year is going to be very problematic,” Shea said. “We all signed the proclamation, but I will not be supportive of flying the pride flag.”

So what are the odds this election in November will be Shea’s last?