* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:12] GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. FOR ME, SEEING THESE PRIDE BANNERS BACK IN WESTHEIMER IS INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE THIS MOMENT DIDN'T BEGIN A FEW WEEKS AGO OR A FEW MONTHS AGO. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR IN THE MAKING. I'M GONNA HAND IN MY UMBRELLA AND TO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHY TODAY MATTERS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF HOW WE ACTUALLY GOT HERE. PRIDE HOUSTON, CONNECTED PRIDE, I'M SORRY, PRIDE HOUSTON CONNECTION TO THE CORRIDOR GOES BACK MORE THAN TWO DECADES. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK WE ARE STANDING UNDER TODAY. THE LOWER WESTHEIMER BANNER DISTRICT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED IN 2005. IT WAS CHAMPIONED BY FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ADA EDWARDS, AND IT WAS CLEARED SO OUR COMMUNITY COULD VISIBLY CLAIM IT AS HOME. BUT OVER TIME THOSE BANNERS CAME DOWN AND WHEN OUR HISTORIC RAINBOW CROSSWALK AT WESTHEIMER AND TUF WERE SUDDENLY TORN UP LAST OCTOBER, WE WERE VERY, UM, DEEPLY TOUCHED BY IT. IT LEFT A VOID, IT LEFT A VISUAL VOID IN MONTROSE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEFT THE, FELT THE LOSS REALLY DEEPLY. THAT IS WHEN THE COMMUNITY STEPPED IN AND WE BEGAN TO THINK OF A SOLUTION. LAST OCTOBER, JACQUE VALINSKI AND I BEGAN WORKING TO REVIVE ADA EDWARD'S ORIGINAL 2005 BANNER DISTRICT FRAMEWORK. FRAMEWORK JOB WAS EXTRAORDINARY. THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND TIME THAT HE PUT INTO THIS WAS INSURMOUNTABLE. HE SHOWED UP TO EVERY MEETING, HE KNOCKED ON EVERY DOOR, AND HE MADE EVERY PHONE CALLS AND HE WAS VERY PUSHED WITH WHEN IT CAME TO ME LIKE, CARRIE ANN, THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE AND HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND GAVE ME ALL THE TOOLS THAT I NEEDED TO HELP HIM AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT HERE TODAY. HE FOLLOWED UP, HE MADE CALLS, HE WENT DOWNTOWN, KNOCKED ON DOORS, AND KEPT PUSHING WHEN THE PROCESS STALL ON BEHALF OF PRIDE HOUSTON, I MANAGE THE ORGANIZATIONAL PART OF IT, THE PAPERWORK, THE COORDINATION, AND THE RESOURCES, AND WE WERE PREPARED TO FUND IT ENTIRELY. UM, PRIDE HOUSTON COMMITTED $5,000 AND THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY STEPPED FORWARD TO PLEDGE THE REST OF THE, THE COST. AND THAT WAS, IS CRUCIAL FOR US TO KNOW THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY VALUED THIS. THIS COMMUNITY WAS ENTIRELY PREPARED TO INVEST IN ITS OWN VISIBILITY. EVENTUALLY OVER MONTHS, UM, AND , IT WAS MONTHS OF PERSISTENT COMMUNITY LABOR. MAYOR WHITMEYER STEPPED IN AND HELPED MO MOVED OUR PAPERWORK ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND OFFERED CITY SUPPORT TO COVER THE FINAL COST. BUT BEFORE THAT, I WANNA TAKE A STEP BACK AND RECOGNIZE ABBY CAME IN. I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT TEARY EYED, SO I PROMISE I WON'T CRY, BUT, BUT YOUR OFFICE, YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR FIGHT, I THINK THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATED JACK AND I TO CONTINUE DOING THIS. YOU SAID WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, AND WHATEVER I NEED TO GET DONE OR WHATEVER I NEED TO DO, I'M GONNA DO. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T HAVE YOU IN THE OFFICE, BUT YOU STILL KEPT PUSHING FORWARD AND YOU GAVE US TO WHITMEYER. AGAIN, I SINCERELY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AND FOR HELPING US REACH THIS MOMENT. BUT TODAY, I ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK AND RECOGNIZE JACQUE AND THE LEGACY OF ADVOCATES FROM 2005 WHO BUILT THE FOUNDATION WE ARE STANDING ON. JACK, YOU AND I KNOW HOW MANY CONVERSATION HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENE, HOW MANY TIMES WE FOLLOWED UP, AND HOW MANY TIMES THIS COULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU AND WE DIDN'T STOP. SO TODAY IT'S ABOUT NOT ONLY ONE PERSON OR ANY ADMINISTRATION TAKING CREDIT, IT'S ABOUT HONORING AN INSTITUTIONAL LEGACY, TELLING HISTORY ACCURATELY AND RECOGNIZING WHAT COMMUNITY PERSISTENT CAN ACCOMPLISH. THESE BANNERS BELONG TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND AS A WOMAN, AND I'LL STOP, I WON'T KEEP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME. AS A WOMAN WHO CAME HERE TO HOUSTON ONLY ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, I REMEMBER ARRIVING HERE AND DISCOVERING THE WARMTH OF THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE. I WAS TOLD, DON'T GO TO HOUSTON. GO TO HOUSTON. DON'T GO THERE. IT'S TOO POLITICAL. BUT ONE THING I CAN SAY IS, EVERYONE, EVEN WITH OUR DIFFERENCES, THERE'S SO MUCH LOVE AND SO MUCH COMMUNITY WORK AND A COUPLE FOLKS HELPED ME REALIZE THAT. AND THAT IS, UH, DID HE HEAR SOME ? THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE ALWAYS STOOD BY MY SIDE AND SHOWED ME WHAT LOVE LOOKED LIKE AND SHOWED ME WHAT DIFFERENCES OF OPINION AND COMMUNITY LOOK LIKE HIM AND HIS TEAM. SO, AND SOMEWHERE TODAY, SOMEONE ELSE IS ARRIVING IN HOUSTON. SOMEONE IS DRIVING DOWN WEST TIME AND WONDERING WHETHER THERE IS A PLACE FOR THEM HERE, A YOUNG L-G-B-T-Q-I-A PERSON MAY LOOK UP AND SEE THESE COLORS, A COUPLE MAY SEE THEM, SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT YEARS WONDERING WHERE [00:05:01] THEY BELONG, MAY SEE THEM. AND WITHOUT ANYONE HAVING TO SAY A SINGLE WORD, THESE BANNERS TELL THEM AND MYSELF, YOU ARE HERE, YOU ARE SEEN AND YOU BELONG. THAT IS WHY JACK AND I KEPT PUSHING AND THIS IS WHY PRIDE HOUSTON STAYED COMMITTED. AND THAT IS WHY SEEING THESE BANNERS FLYING AGAIN TODAY MEANS SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED US TO GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS PREPARED TO STAND BEHIND THE EFFORT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. WELCOME TO THE LOWER WEST ARM OF BANNER DISTRICT, AND I'M GONNA PASS ON TO JACK BEFORE I PASS ON TO OUR VERY SUPPORTIVE MAYOR. SO TODAY IS NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER. THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES ABOUT WHEN THE PARADE USED TO END HERE, THE FLOATS WENT DOWN ONE WAY AND ALL THE OTHER ONES WENT THAT WAY. HPD DIDN'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT US BECAUSE WE KNEW HOW TO RUN A PARADE AND THEN WE MADE IT IN THE KNIGHT AND THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED US. LEE HARRINGTON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER HIM, HE LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HE WAS THE ONE WHO REALLY HELPED US WITH THE NIGHT PARADE. SUE LOVELL. YOU REMEMBER US SITTING ON TOP OF MARY'S DOING A LIVE RADIO BROADCAST ON KPFT. REMEMBER HOW MUCH FUN THAT WAS? IMAGINE DOING A PARADE ON RADIO AND IT WASN'T EVEN IN COLOR, BUT THERE'S SO, THERE WAS SO MANY THINGS. THERE USED TO BE TWO GENTLEMEN THAT LIVED IN THIS AREA THAT WOULD SHOW UP ON THURSDAY BEFORE THE PARADE AND ASK FOR VOLUNTEER T-SHIRTS BECAUSE THEY HAD A, A COOLER OF WATER THEY WERE GONNA HAND OUT. AND IT JUST PROVES THAT THE PARADE WAS AS IMPORTANT TO THEM AS IT WAS TO US. THAT WORKED REALLY HARD. THEY ALSO HAD OWNERSHIP IN THIS PARADE. NOW, THE BANNERS ACTUALLY, WE GOT THE APPROVAL FROM THE CITY IN 1995. OUR WONDERFUL CITY SECRETARY HAD TO RESEARCH THAT AND HE FOUND IT. BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT, WITHOUT, AND I THINK WE'RE PAST THE, THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, GETTING IN TROUBLE WITH THIS, BUT WE OR SOME OF THE PRIDE COMMITTEE USED TO PUT UP PINK TRIANGLES ON THE, ON THE, WITHOUT SENATOR POINT'S PERMISSION OR WHOEVER WAS IN CHARGE OF THEM THEN. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THE PINK TRIANGLE, THAT'S WHAT THE NAZIS GAVE US AND THEY PUT US IN CAMP. AND WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER, WE STAYED IN THE CAMPS BECAUSE IT WAS STILL AGAINST THE LAW. AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY AND WE'RE LOSING SOME GROUND, BUT WE GOTTA KEEP ON MOVING. I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THIS, THAT PEOPLE WILL KNOW ABOUT IT. I'M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE PUBLICITY WE GOT SO PEOPLE KNOW IT'S HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HOPE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT. MAYBE SOMEDAY IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO DAIRY ASHFORD. UH, BUT WE'LL SEE WHERE WE CAN DO. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO SUPPORTED US, WHO HELPED US, WHO HELPED ME. I DO HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR RENEE REESE, WHO IN THE PAR, THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE DEPARTMENT HELPED ME NAVIGATE THE CITY'S BUREAUCRACY. AND I HAVE TO THANK DISTRICT C AND ALL THE WONDERFUL STAFFERS THERE WHO GOT US, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY KEPT SENDING US TO THE SIGN DEPARTMENTS AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS LIKE ONE PERSON IN THE ENTIRE CITY THAT DID WITH BANNERS. THE SAME THING WITH CENTER POINT. BUT WE ALL GOT IT DONE AND I WANT TO THANK YOU. AND THE MAYOR HELPED US OUT. I MEAN, WITHOUT THE MONEY IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE, BUT WITHOUT THE MAYOR ALSO SIGNING OFF IT, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE. SO MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU. PLEASE TELL US. THANK YOU JACK. THANK YOU JACK FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE IN PRIDE 365 KERRY, WHAT A GREAT LEADER YOU HAVE PROVIDED. TODAY IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF MY BATTLE FOR EQUALITY. A BATTLE I'VE BEEN FIGHTING MY ENTIRE PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER. I WISH TIME WOULD ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU THE STORIES. THE FIRST PRIDE PARADE, THE BATTLES IN THE LEGISLATURE. WHEN WE REWROTE THE PENAL CODE IN 93, SENATOR ELLIS IN THE SENATE, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE SODOMY STATUTE OUTTA THE SENATE VERSION 2106. ULTIMATELY WE HAD PLAINTIFFS THAT TOOK IT ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT. THERE WERE MANY STORIES OF HEROISM. THE PEOPLE THAT STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER DURING MY CAREER CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT RAY HILL, CERTAINLY LEE HARRINGTON, PHYLLIS FRIAR, PLEASE MEET PHYLLIS FRIAR, A TRANS MUNICIPAL JUDGE THAT WOULD COME TO THE LEGISLATURE IN THE SEVENTIES. AND THE ONLY OFFICE SHE COULD GET INTO WAS JOHN WHITMEYER. SHE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER. I COULD MENTION OTHERS. ANISE PARKER [00:10:01] WAS NOT EASY BEING SAME SEX MARRIAGE, MAYOR OF HOUSTON, SUE LOVELL, OPEN LESBIAN MAYOR OF HOUSTON. I COULD FAST FORWARD TO EVEN CURRENT COURAGE. ANN JOHNSON GAVE A REMARKABLE SPEECH ON THE SENATE FLOOR. AMAZING. SO THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR THIS DAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT ALSO AS I WOULD SAY ON THE SENATE FLOOR, AS THE VOICE OF THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, TAKING FAMILIES WITH ME TO THE SENATE FLOOR. UNTIL WE HAVE EQUALITY FOR EVERYONE, NONE OF US ARE EQUAL. SO LET'S CELEBRATE TODAY. I WISH TIME AND THE WEATHER WOULD ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU IN GREAT DETAIL SOME OF THE BATTLES FOUGHT AND WON AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. GENEVA ROBERTS, JUST HEROES THAT HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE. BUT I'M NOT GONNA CLOSE WITHOUT RECOGNIZING GARNET COLEMAN, WHO HE LOST LAST WEEK. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE, WHAT GARNET WOULD WANT, BUT I THINK HE WOULD LIKE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. GIVE IT UP FOR GARNET COLEMAN, BECAUSE THERE'S GARNET WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EQUALITY RIGHT HERE IN MONTROSE, AND HE TOOK HIS BATTLES TO THE HOUSE FLOOR. THANK EVERYONE TO BE HERE. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. AND I COULD START, JOE, I COULD GO ACROSS THE LINEUP. SENATOR ELLIS WAS RIGHT THERE ON THE SENATE FLOOR. LADIES AND FRIENDS, GENTLEMEN, 93 WAS A DIFFERENT WORLD. IT WAS A DIFFERENT WORLD WHEN I GOT ELECTED TO LEGISLATURE IN THE SEVENTIES. WE'VE COME A LONG WAYS, BUT I THINK ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AROUND, LOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO. THANK Y'ALL. THAT'S FINE. YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE IN THE HEART OF HOUSTON'S MONTROSE NEIGHBORHOOD, A HISTORIC PART OF OUR TOWN THAT WAS AND CONTINUES TO BE A HAVEN FOR SO MANY. THIS IS THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. A YEAR AGO, MANY OF US STOOD DOWN THE STREET AS THE STATE OF TEXAS CAME FOR OUR CROSSWALK, A CROSSWALK THAT PROVIDED SAFETY AND VISIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS. AFTER A YOUNG MAN, ALEX HILL WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A CAR AS HE CROSSED THE STREET. AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE, THIS WAS ABOUT SAFETY AND THIS WAS ABOUT VISIBILITY. AND THE SYMBOLISM IS NOT LOST ON ANY OF US. THIS WASN'T JUST AN ATTACK ON LOCAL CONTROL, IT WAS BLATANT BIGOTRY, A TARGETED ATTACK AGAINST OUR LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY. IT WAS AN ATTACK ON OUR DIVERSITY AND WHAT MAKES HOUSTON AND ALL OF TEXAS AS SPECIAL AS WE ARE. SO AT A TIME WHEN SO MANY COMMUNITIES ARE BEING SCAPEGOATED, IT'S IMPORTANT NOT JUST IN WORDS, BUT IN OUR ACTIONS TO STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT. WE MUST NOT EVER BEND THE KNEE TO ILLEGAL MANDATES AND WE MUST NOT CAPITULATE TO HATE THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FROM OUR ENTIRE MONTROSE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WANNA POINT OUT AND WORKING WITH MY OFFICE FOR OVER A YEAR, NEARLY A YEAR. THIS WAS AN EFFORT LED BY OUR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. AND THERE WAS SO MUCH SUPPORT THROUGHOUT HOUSTON AS WELL. THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO WHO WE ARE. WE HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS. WE LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE TRAMPLE ON OUR RIGHTS AS A CITY, AS A COUNTY, BUT ABOVE ALL OUR RIGHTS AS HUMAN BEINGS. I WANNA RECOGNIZE AND THANK JACK, I KNOW YOU SAID TODAY ISN'T ABOUT YOU AND CARRIE ANN MORE. YOU WERE SO GRACIOUS IN YOUR REMARKS, RECOGNIZING OTHERS, BUT WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIP OF YOU ALL AND OUR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS. AND I SEE IN THE BACK WE HAVE AVERY WITH THE MONTROSE CENTER, TAMMY, WITH OUR LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BRANDON, WITH THE CAUCUS, THE LIST GOES ON. WITHOUT Y'ALL, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THIS WAS THE POWER OF COMMUNITY AND OF A VOICE UNITING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. AND I HOPE I'LL JUST DO A SELFISH PLUG THAT YOU ALL WILL JOIN ME AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE L-G-B-T-Q HISTORY MONTH COMING [00:15:01] UP THIS AUGUST WITH FAMILIES WITH PRIDE, WHICH MANY OF YOU ALL ARE PARTNERS IN AS WELL. SO AGAIN, MAYOR, THANK YOU. UH, WE HAD ALLOCATED FUNDING AND YOU STEPPED IN. SO NOW THOSE DOLLARS CAN GO BACK FOR NEW PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO CARRY THE TORCH AND BE THIS VOICE FOR WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT DISTRICT C. AGAIN, LAST OCTOBER, WE STOOD NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE AND I MADE IT CLEAR THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT A PRIDE FLAG, ALTHOUGH IF IT WAS, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH, IT WOULD BE WORTHY. BUT THIS IS ALSO ABOUT OUR AMERICAN VALUES AND WHO WE ARE AS A NATION. A CROSSWALK WAS ERASED, BUT NOW THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR IS A TESTAMENT TO WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. AND I HAVE TO THANK OUR COMMISSIONER, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, OUR STATE SENATE OFFICE IS ALSO HERE. UH, EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT IS STANDING HERE TOGETHER. CONSTABLE ROSEN, BECAUSE THIS MATTERS. WE ARE PROUD AND WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS AND THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY OF ALL. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. ONE MORE TIME. GOOD AFTERNOON, . OKAY, HEIDI, FOLKS, MY NAME IS JOE PANZA. I AM Y'ALL'S NEWEST HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT C, WHICH IS THE HEIGHTS, GARDEN OAKS, MEYERLAND, AND OF COURSE, THE GREAT AND HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD OF MONTROSE. A LITTLE UNDER A YEAR AGO ON OCTOBER 6TH, 2025, THE PRIDE CROSSWALK, A FIXTURE IN MONTROSE THAT STOOD FOR EQUALITY WAS PAINTED OVER AFTER A DIRECTIVE FROM GOVERNOR ABBOTT. I KNOW. SO BECAUSE I WAS HERE AT 2:00 AM WITH PROTESTORS, YOUNG AND OLD, NOT BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT I COULD STOP IT, BUT BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES THAT OUR GOVERNOR WOULD ACTUALLY DO THIS. AND HE DID. LET'S NOT FORGET THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE CROSSWALK, THOUGH. THIS CROSSWALK WAS CREATED TO HONOR ALEX HILL, A 21-YEAR-OLD MEMBER OF THE L-G-B-T-Q-I-A COMMUNITY WHO WAS KILLED IN A HIT AND RUN. IT WAS NOT ONLY A MEMORIAL, BUT A SAFETY MEASURE. AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN REMOVED. AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS PAINTED OVER, PEOPLE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE NEED FOR SYMBOLS OF EQUALITY AND SAFETY. WHAT I FIND REMARKABLE IS THAT IF YOU WALK DOWN THERE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE EDGES OF THE RAINBOW PAINT AT THE CORNERS OF WESTHEIMER AND TAFT, LITTLE BANDS OF COLOR THAT REFUSE TO GO AWAY. AND I THINK THAT'S, THERE'S SOMETHING POWERFUL IN THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN TRY TO PAINT OVER SYMBOLS OF EQUALITY. YOU CAN CALL PRIDE POLITICAL MESSAGING. YOU CAN TRY TO REMOVE THE COLOR AND CHARACTER AND INCLUSIVITY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS HISTORICALLY BUILT BY GENERATIONS OF L-G-B-T-Q-I HOUSTONIANS. BUT YOU CANNOT ERASE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE MONTROSE WHAT IT IS, YOU CANNOT PAVE OVER ITS HISTORY AND YOU CANNOT EXTINGUISH ITS PRIDE. THOSE LITTLE STRIPS OF COLOR AT WESTHEIMER AND TAFT ARE PROOF OF THAT. AND TODAY, JUST A LITTLE UNDER A YEAR LATER, THE RAINBOW ISN'T JUST PEEKING OUT FROM BENEATH THE PAVEMENT ANYMORE. IT'S FLYING OVER. WESTHEIMER THANKS TO THE WORK OF PRIDE, HOUSTON 365, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, JACK VALINSKI, AND COUNTY ATTORNEY ABBY CAYMAN AND SO MANY OTHERS. TODAY WE WELCOME THESE SYMBOLS OF PRIDE BACK TO MONTROSE. I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JACK AGAIN. HE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE BANNERS BEFORE THEY WERE EVER COOL AS A LONG TIME, UH, UH, MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. HE KNEW THE CODE BACKWARDS AND FORWARD. I'M SURE HE HAD A LOT OF HELP FROM THE CITY, BUT LET'S NOT TAKE AWAY THE CREDIT THAT JACK HAD AND THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT HE STILL CONTINUES TO SHARE WITH LEADERS ABOUT THE CITY. THESE BANNERS HONOR THE GENERATIONS OF L-G-B-T-Q-I HOUSTONIANS WHO MADE MONTROSE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD FIND COMMUNITY, FIND ACCEPTANCE, AND FIND THEMSELVES. THEY REMIND EVERY YOUNG QUEER PERSON WHO COMES THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU HAVE HISTORY HERE. AND HOW LUCKY ARE WE THAT THEY MADE MONTROSE HOME? AND HOW LUCKY ARE WE THAT THEY CHOSE HOUSTON? THE GOVERNOR MIGHT NOT THINK THAT, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THINKS THAT. SO YES, THEY PAINTED OVER A CROSSWALK, BUT THE RAINBOW NEVER REALLY LEFT MONTROSE. YOU CAN STILL SEE IT AROUND THE EDGES. AND TODAY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK UP. I WANNA THANK EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAD A HAND AND BRING THESE BANNERS BACK TO MONTROSE. WELCOME HOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLA FOR THOSE REALLY INSPIRING WORDS. I'M CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF STANDING HERE TODAY WITH THIS AMAZING GROUP OF ADVOCATES AND THE PRIVILEGE AND PLEASURE EVERY, UH, EVERY DAY OF REPRESENTING TEXAS'S SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. AND WE ARE IN THE HEART OF IT HERE IN MONTROSE. AND SO I TOO, UH, WANNA BRIEFLY ADD MY VOICE TO THE CHORUS OF THANKS TO PRIDE HOUSTON 365, JACK AND CARRIE ANN, UM, AND TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND [00:20:01] ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS DAY POSSIBLE. AS WE KNOW, WE ARE FACING INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES HERE IN THE STATE FROM OUR GOVERNOR IN THE COUNTRY, FROM THE PRESIDENT. AND IT IS CRITICAL THAT AS I SEE ALL OF THESE, UM, UMBRELLAS GOING UP AROUND ME, AS THE RAIN STARTS TO COME DOWN, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL STILL STANDING HERE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, TO FIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, TO FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK NOT ONLY HERE IN MONTROSE, BUT ALL ACROSS HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE COUNTRY. AND IT GIVES ME INCREDIBLE PRIDE TO GET TO REPRESENT SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS A HAVEN AND A HOME. I ALWAYS CALL MONTROSE THE HISTORIC HEART OF HOUSTON'S L-G-B-T-Q-I-A COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE L-G-B-T-Q-I-A NEIGHBORS THROUGHOUT THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THROUGHOUT HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. BUT MONTROSE REALLY IS A SPECIAL PLACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN COME AND BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES, BE WHO THEY ARE, LOVE WHO THEY LOVE, AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S OUR ASPIRATION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. THAT'S WHO WE ARE. A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN COME AND YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE NO MATTER WHERE YOU CAME FROM, NO MATTER WHEN YOU GOT HERE. THIS IS AN OPEN, INCLUSIVE, LOVING AND AFFIRMING COMMUNITY. GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S TRYING TO CHANGE THAT. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TRYING TO CHANGE THAT. WE'RE NOT GONNA LET THEM, WE'RE NOT GONNA LET THEM TODAY AND WE'RE NOT GONNA LET THEM DO IT EVER. THEY'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE WHO WE ARE HERE. AND THE FLAGS THAT ARE NOW UP WILL REMIND US EVERY SINGLE TIME WE DRIVE DOWN WESTHEIMER, WHICH EVERYBODY DOES. UM, THAT I, I LOVE HEARING THE STORY OF REALLY, UM, TURNING WHAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT AND SAD AND CHALLENGING MOMENT OF THE GOVERNOR INSISTING THAT TO KEEP OUR FUNDING, WE HAD TO REMOVE THIS CROSSWALK TO SEE THAT TURNED INTO RAINBOW BANNERS ALL DOWN WESTHEIMER. IT'S NOT JUST ONE CROSSWALK, IT'S EVERY STREET CROSSING IT'S BLOCKS. IT BLOCKS AND BLOCKS. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR COMMITMENT IS. AND WHEN THEY THROW UP ONE OBSTACLE, WE'RE GONNA FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME IT. THEY'RE THROWING A LOT OF OBSTACLES OUR WAY RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CANNOT DO. THIS COMMUNITY IS A TESTAMENT TO THAT. THE WORK THAT IS DONE HERE DAY IN AND DAY OUT HERE IN THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AND BEYOND IS A TESTAMENT TO WHO WE ARE AS HOUSTONIANS. AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TO STAND HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THESE BANNERS AND TO BE WITH SO MANY CHAMPIONS, UM, WHO ARE FIGHTING THE FIGHT EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S STANDING HERE WITH ME AND THANKS TO EVERYONE STANDING THERE UNDER AN UMBRELLA, UM, OUT IN THE RAIN, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS CRITICAL AND I AM, UM, SO HONORED AND PROUD, UH, TO BE STANDING HERE WITH I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS IS NEXT. UM, SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. LEMME STEP UP ANN, ONE SECOND. I THOUGHT YOU WERE NEXT. TOLD CHECK. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS JUST STARTING MY POLITICAL CAREER, I HEARD BARBARA JORDAN GIVE A SPEECH ONE TIME. SHE SAID, IF SOMEBODY HAS SAID WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY, DON'T SAY IT AGAIN. UH, I WANNA ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE. I REMEMBER ON THAT HOT DAY WHEN THEY WERE OUT HERE PUTTING THE ASPHALT DOWN AND I THINK I WAS PRETTY LATE SPEAKING THAT DAY AS WELL. AND IT WAS HOT AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT CAN I SAY? SO I'M SITTING AT MINE'S RING. I HAD MY LITTLE NOTE CARDS, I HAD MY LITTLE SPEECH BOOK. SO THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF WAS THEY MAY TAKE DOWN THIS RAINBOW, THIS CROSSWALK, BUT YOU GO PUT YOUR RAINBOW ON YOUR HOUSE. REMEMBER YOU PUT IT ON YOUR CAR, YOU PUT IT ON YOUR BUILDING. WELL, SINCE THEN, I CALLED UP ABBY, SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEATED CAMPAIGN AND I SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A, A CLINIC DOWN HERE THAT WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP OLD FIRE STATION RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. I'M GONNA JUST QUIETLY NAME THAT THE RAINBOW CLINIC. AND I PASSED BY A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND I THOUGHT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT A, A BIG DEAL, BUT I DON'T WANNA COME DOWN AND BULLDOZE MY CLINIC. SO WE JUST DID IT AND IT'S STILL THERE AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT. LOOK, THESE SYMBOLS MATTER. IF THEY DIDN'T MATTER, WHY WOULD SO MANY PEOPLE PUT UP CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS ALL OVER AMERICA? THEY MATTER. AND AS AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR ART IN IMPACTING OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE, I WAS SO IMPRESSED RIGHT AFTER THE GOVERNOR DID HIS DEAL, I STARTED SEEING PEOPLE PAINTING RAINBOWS ON THEIR HOUSES, ON THEIR STEPS, ROLLING AROUND, PUTTING FLAGS OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW. IT MATTERS WITH OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE WHO ASSOCIATE WITH THIS GREAT COMMUNITY [00:25:01] ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST HERE, WE'RE JUST THE LARGEST AND IT'S THE HEARTBEAT IN SO MANY WAYS, SUCH A HISTORIC COMMUNITY. I'M PROUD OF YOU NOW HOW YOU COULD PULL ALL OF US OUT POURING DOWN RAIN LIGHTNING. I SAW THE LIGHTS FLASHING. I WAS BACK THERE IN SPIN MODE AND I WAS SAYING, ABBY, WHAT ARE WE GONNA SAY IF LIGHTNING HITS ONE OF US? , I'M GONNA SAY IT WAS THEM. THEY CAUSED IT. I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU, YOU REMEMBER, YOU VOTE FOR WHOEVER YOU WANNA VOTE FOR, BUT MAKE SURE WHEN YOU GO TO THAT BALLOT BOX AND VOTE, YOU VOTE YOUR ISSUES THAT MATTER AND YOU REMEMBER WHO HAD THE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT A CROSSWALK WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE. I'M SO PROUD OF YOU. AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE DISTINGUISHED STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO REPRESENTS THIS AREA. ANN JOHNSON. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. UH, MY NAME IS ANN JOHNSON AND I'M PROUD TO BE, UM, STATE REP FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 1 34, JUST RIGHT DOWN THE WAY. AND I KNOW RIGHT HERE WE ARE ACTUALLY IN REPRESENTATIVE JOLANDA JONES DISTRICT REPRESENTING THE EASTERN SIDE OF MONTROSE. PROUD TO BE HERE FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE TODAY BECAUSE YOU ALSO HAVE SENATOR MOLLY COOK WHO'S WORKING IN THE ER RIGHT NOW. BUT AS I LOOK AT SUE LEVEL AND BRANDON AND JACK AND OTHERS, I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WAS BORN JUST DOWN THE STREET IN THE MEDICAL CENTER HERE IN HOUSTON IN 1974 WITH A DAD WHO RAISED ME AROUND BARBARA JORDAN, A DAD WHO SERVED IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AT A TIME WHEN BEING TEXAN MEANT LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AND LEAVING PEOPLE TO LIVE THEIR OWN LIFE. EVEN IN THAT VERY WELCOME HOME LIFE, AS A YOUNG LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP IN THIS STATE, I DID NOT THINK IT WAS OKAY TO BE ME. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS OKAY TO BE GAY. AND I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN I DROVE DOWN THIS STREET AS AN ADULT AND I SAW THAT CROSSWALK AS A RAINBOW, IT MEANT SOMETHING TO ME. IT GAVE ME COMFORT AND IT GAVE ME PRIDE. SO I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY HERE WHO HAD THE FORESIGHT, THE PROGRESS TO HAVE THAT PUT IN. AND I WANNA REMIND THE REPUBLICANS AND THE LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN PAVE OVER OUR EXISTENCE AND OUR HISTORY. AND YOU CANNOT BECAUSE AT A CAMPAIGN TIME IN WHICH YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE OUR EXISTENCE AND OUR FLAG IS SOMETHING AS A NEGATIVE LOOK AROUND, THIS IS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A COMMUNITY OF CULTURES COMING TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN ONE OF US IS UNDER ATTACK, WE ARE ALL UNDER ATTACK. THIS IS A RECOGNITION THAT YOU CAN KEEP TRYING YOUR HATE, BUT WE WILL FIND A WAY, CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY TEXAN KNOWS THAT THEY ARE WELCOME AND THEY ARE VALUED. BEING HERE TODAY NOT ONLY TAKES L-G-B-T-Q MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE STANDING UP, BUT IT MEANS ALL OF OUR INCREDIBLE ALLIES. IT MEANS THE BUSINESS FOLKS AND OTHERS THAT STEP UP. AND IT DOES MEAN FOLKS LIKE COMMISSIONER ELLIS, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, AS HE SAID FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, TAKING THAT SAME STAND IN AUSTIN TO BE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND NOW AS MAYOR, TO FIND A WAY TO GET THESE BANNERS AND PUT UP. AND SO I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY GETTING THE BANNERS, BUT GETTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD SUPPORT IT TO COME TOGETHER. AND SO HOUSTON AND TEXAS, I WILL REMIND YOU THAT THESE SYMBOLS OF PRIDE ARE OUR SYMBOLS OF PRIDE AND OUR UNITY AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO STAND WITH EACH OTHER IS A DAILY REMINDER TO OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO TAKE US AWAY OR TAKE US BACK OR PAVE OVER US, THEIR HATE WILL NOT WIN. SO I AM HONORED AND I AM PROUD THAT I GET TO WELCOME AND INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF FIGHTING ALEJANDRO SALINAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. MY NAME'S ALEJANDRA SALINAS, I'M ONE OF YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS. A LOT OF GREAT WORDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID. I JUST WANNA START BY THANKING THE FOLKS THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. ABBY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR TO HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID TO HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. AND WHILE WE ELECT OFFICIALS LIKE TO TAKE CREDIT AND WE DESERVE SMALL CREDIT FOR THIS, THE REAL CREDIT GOES TO THE COMMUNITY, TO FOLKS LIKE JACK, TO FOLKS LIKE AVERY, [00:30:01] TO FOLKS LIKE TAMMY AND SO MANY FOLKS I SEE AROUND US THAT HAVE TIRELESSLY FOUGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS HAVE BEEN AGAINST US, THEY HAVE ALWAYS CONTINUED TO FIGHT. SO WE ARE HONORED TO STAND WITH YOU. MY WIFE AND I ARE HONORED TO BE A PART OF THE MONTROSE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. AND WE WILL STAND BY YOU THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT AND ALWAYS FIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. YES, I'M PLAYING CLEANUP. A FLAG IS MORE THAN FABRIC. IT IS A SYMBOL OF A COMMUNITY, A CAUSE, A BELIEF. WHEN WE UNVEIL THESE FLAGS TODAY, THEY SPEAK FOR MANY. THEY SAY, THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS WHERE I BELONG, AND THIS IS WHAT I STAND FOR. THESE FLAGS ARE ABOUT VISIBILITY. VISIBILITY MATTERS BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE SEE THEMSELVES AS BEING REPRESENTED, IT SENDS A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL MESSAGE. YOU ARE SEEING, YOU ARE VALUED AND YOU BELONG HERE. DO WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY? THANK YOU. YES WE DO. MANY PEOPLE WILL SAY THEY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, BUT SUPPORT CANNOT LIVE IN OUR WORDS. IT MUST BE EMBODIED IN OUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WE LEAD. I HOLD MYSELF TO THAT STANDARD. I HOPE THAT MY TRACK RECORD, AS YOUR CONSTABLE SHOWS THE VALUES REPRESENTED BY THESE FLAGS ARE ALSO WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF MY DEPARTMENT AS THEY SURELY DO. THE PENS THAT I WEAR TODAY AND TO THE COMMUNITY, MY COMMITMENT IS SIMPLE. I WILL STAND WITH YOU AND PROTECT YOU. PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. YOU DESERVE TO BE SEEN. YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE AN ALLY. YOU HAVE AN ALLY IN ME, ALWAYS. WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO. BUT WHEN BUT WHEN WE NOT DO IT, WHEN WE DON'T DO IT ALONE, WE WILL NOT STOP TOGETHER. WE WILL KEEP BUILDING HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY WHERE EVERY PERSON CAN BE, SEE, CAN SEE THESE FLAGS AND KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THEY BELONG HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYBODY THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. AND GOD BLESS AGAIN. UH, THIS IS A REALLY HEARTFELT MOMENT BECAUSE OF EVERYONE, AS EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED, THIS IS BEYOND JUST THE FLAG. THIS IS ABOUT INCLUSIVITY. THIS IS ABOUT BELONGING. THIS IS ABOUT LOVE. AND THIS IS ABOUT SHOWING UP FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US FOR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE. AGAIN, I DO SINCERELY. THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU'RE I'M GRATEFUL. I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CAYMAN. I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH. OF COURSE. THANK YOU ALWAYS. I AM, UH, INDEBTED, UH, NOT FOR UM, ANYTHING THAT IS, IT'S BEYOND WORDS. IT'S BEYOND WORDS OF YOUR MOTIVATION. BECAUSE MOTIVATION IS, IS IS NOT SEEN SOMETIMES, RIGHT? AND SOMETIMES IT GOES SO UNDERMINED. SO FOR THE FACT THAT YOU KEPT PUSHING AND YOU TOLD US NOT TO GIVE UP, THAT MEANT A LOT BECAUSE THERE WERE DAYS WHERE WE WERE LIKE, OH, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET HERE. AND YOUR OFFICE SAID, NO, YOU'RE GONNA GET THERE. AND YOU MADE SURE YOU POINTED US TO EVERYBODY THAT WE NEEDED TO BE POINTED TO. SO THANK YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT IS AROUND HERE, JOE, I I I, I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU WHEN I SAW YOU STANDING ON THE CROSSWALK JUST LOOKING AND SAYING, I'M GONNA FIGHT. BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN IN OFFICE, YOU SAID, I'M GONNA FIGHT. I'M GONNA SHOW UP. AND YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE CONTINUOUSLY SHOW UP AND YOU'VE CONTINUOUSLY PROVIDED SUPPORT AND YOU'VE CONTINUOUSLY BEEN HERE FOR A COMMUNITY. YOU AND THE MAYOR WORK TOGETHER SO CLOSELY AND ALWAYS THERE AND ALWAYS SHOWING UP. SO I SINCERELY THANK YOU SO MANY MORE NAMES. WE, UH, HEARD THANK YOUS TO AVERY BEU FROM THE MONTROSE CENTER. WE HEARD, UH, THANK YOU FOR TAMMY. I SEE YOU SOMEWHERE, UH, FROM THE L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. BRANDON MACK, WE THANK YOU SUE. WE THANK YOU. THERE ARE A FEW MORE FACES IN HERE THAT I CANNOT SEE 'CAUSE I HAVE VERY BAD EYES. BUT BECAUSE YOUR NAME IS NOT MENTIONED DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE NOT SEEN AND DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE NOT APPRECIATED. SO AGAIN, WE THANK YOU PRIDE. THANK YOU. THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. AND ESTONIAN THANK YOU AND IMMIGRANTS LIKE ME WHO CAME HERE AND LOOKED FOR A HOME AND FOUND A HOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.