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WOODLAND’S HISTORIC Push
JUAN ACOSTA
As a young person growing up in Woodland, California—a mid-size city of fifty-five thousand people or so, not far from the state capital of Sacramento and driving distance to San Francisco—I always felt that when it came to being out, my hometown was still stuck in the past, in a time of intolerance and exclusion.
Just over twenty years ago, in 1998, Woodland’s city council voted down a filing that would have allowed a gay Pride celebration to be held within our city limits. By the summer of 2018, I hoped there would be a much different prevailing attitude. When I arrived at City Hall on the evening of Tuesday, June 19, I tried to reassure myself that there would be no last-minute detractors and that local leaders would agree it was time to celebrate a historical and long-overdue moment. A moment I knew would bring happiness but, furthermore, would provide a message of empowerment to so many people in our community.
From the instant I looked around at the smiling faces of all present, I knew history was going to be made in Woodland, California, as the city proclaimed June the official LGBTQ+ Pride Month. I was one of many who had helped draft the proclamation, in addition to fellow community member Marie Perea, who pushed for the resolution to pass.
Then-Mayor Pro Tempore Xóchitl Rodriguez stated that the Pride Month proclamation was an essential step toward empowering the LGBTQ+ community for their contributions to the city. She began,
“We want to ensure that all community members feel welcomed regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The proclamation seemed to do exactly that—fulfill and send across a message of empowerment and welcome to many members of the community. One of them was Favio Tello, twenty-four, who identifies as queer.
Favio spoke in support of the proclamation during the public comment session and shared his excitement after the proclamation passed. Eager to be a part of such a historic and meaningful moment, he stepped forward to solemnly say,
“My closeted self would have loved to see this visibility brought forth for the LGBTQ community.” Then, more boldly and with a proud smile, he added, “The queers are here, darling, and we are never going to back down!”
City council member Angel Barajas shared that he believes the proclamation is an acknowledgment. In his words, it is a message “that city leaders not only proclaim that LGBTQ+ members have always been an integral part of our community, but the need of equitable treatment, education, and acceptance must continue for everyone.”
This proclamation will remain in the city’s history books forever, but the impact that this change has is unbounded.
Juan, what a beautiful story and an incredible gift you’ve given your community, and Favia, yassss. Last year at WorldPride, I shared my own story about struggling to be accepted, not to compare but as a reminder that we need to love and be proud of who are (and do the same for others). Everyone should be celebrated, the world needs more love and pride, and I’m so grateful you brought it to Woodland and embody it every day. To read more about the history of Pride and find resources on how to support your community, please check out the Human Rights Campaign.
The message of embracement for a community longing for acceptance and inclusion was crucial—a true testament that a simple message of kindness and belonging can not only welcome many but also uplift those who feel alone, forgotten, and abandoned.
As much as I had longed for this history-making moment to have taken place earlier, the fact that I was able to help and be a part of a historic moment, to help out my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, is one of the greatest experiences to have happened in my life. Seeing people raise their Pride flags, cry, and smile in triumph, love, and excitement is something that will remain with me forever.