Surfside will recognize Pride month after sparking outrage for not flying LGBTQ flag

After the town of Surfside sparked outrage for choosing not to display the LGBTQ Pride flag last month, commissioners voted this week to recognize June as Pride month in the future but could not agree on a flag policy.

The commission, which was deadlocked 2-2 with one member on vacation, failed to get a majority vote on different proposals to craft a flag policy at a meeting Tuesday.

The town, which displayed the Pride flag at the Community Center in June 2021, decided not to fly the rainbow-colored banner last month, citing the lack of a formal flag policy.

The decision led to a resident protest outside Town Hall. The commission meeting Tuesday became tense at times as residents on both sides of the flag debate shared their opinions.

One woman said flying the Pride flag would “shame America” and that the LGBTQ community contradicts traditional religious values. The next speaker followed up by calling the woman’s comments bigoted.

Another resident, former law professor Gerardo Vildostegui, publicly called for the resignation of Town Attorney Lillian Arango for comments she made regarding a Supreme Court case related to a flag policy in Boston.

Mayor Shlomo Danzinger and Commissioner Marianne Meischeid voted Tuesday against flying the Pride flag. They supported a proposal to reserve government flag poles for government flags representing the United States, Florida and Surfside. Meischeid had previously supported flying the Pride flag in June.

The other two members of the commission, Vice Mayor Jeff Rose and Commissioner Fred Landsman, support flying the Pride flag and attempted to reach a compromise that would allow residents to lobby the commission to display any non-government flag on lamp posts outside Town Hall with signatures from 300 residents and a deciding commission vote.

Both proposals failed on 2-2 ties. But the commission voted unanimously to recognize June as Pride month. Rose, who sponsored the Pride month resolution, said he would call a vote at the August commission meeting to raise the flag on the Town Hall lamp posts for two weeks in June.

Commissioner Nelly Velasquez, who was absent Tuesday, told the Miami Herald she would support flying the Pride flag next June.