The Pride flag won香蕉视频直播檛 fly at Mission city hall again this year. 

A motion from Coun. Ken Herar on Monday (June 17) to amend the city香蕉视频直播檚 flag policy didn香蕉视频直播檛 have a seconder, meaning there was no discussion or vote on the matter.  Coun. Jag Gill was absent from the meeting. 

The amendment would allow the Pride flag to fly at city hall during the annual Fraser Valley Pride Celebration. 

The matter was raised by Herar before, but this time he was optimistic. Herar says he initially wasn't going to bring the motion back but checked with the Fraser Valley Youth Society (FVYS), which organizes the annual Pride event. The society supported bringing the motion forward. 

香蕉视频直播淚 was really hopeful that there would at least be a discussion on this matter,香蕉视频直播� Herar said.

Mission Mayor Paul Horn says he didn香蕉视频直播檛 second the motion because it was already discussed exhaustively in the past. 

香蕉视频直播淭here really isn't anything new to discuss,香蕉视频直播� Horn said.  

Horn says the city has been supporting Pride in other ways, including hosting the Fraser Valley Pride Festival, creating space for the Fraser Valley Youth Society, and flying the flag where more people go. 

香蕉视频直播淚 think that the whole idea of supporting Pride has been to increase diversity in our community 香蕉视频直播� to expect people to leave space for others,香蕉视频直播� Horn said.

According to Horn, raising the flag on government flagpoles tends to create polarization, not increase understanding. 

Earlier this month, the City of Mission changed its logo on social media for Pride month to reflect the Progress Pride Flag. The city also had a Pride-themed social media logo last June.  Horn says it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a council decision. 

香蕉视频直播淭hat's a different thing than the flag policy 香蕉视频直播� the logo is not our official coat of arms or official flag,香蕉视频直播� Horn said. 

Herar brought the initial motion forward to council in June 2022 to fly the flag during Pride Week. Council referred staff to look into options for revising the flag policy in the future. 

In March 2023, council voted 5-1 to exclusively raise the Canadian flag, provincial flag, and municipal flag at city hall, with the Royal Canadian Legion香蕉视频直播檚 poppy flag during Veterans香蕉视频直播� Week as the lone exception. Herar was the dissenting vote and Gill was absent. 

In a letter to the editor last March, Horn said council香蕉视频直播檚 decision was a practical matter 香蕉视频直播渕eant to avoid the costly and distracting process of dealing with flag requests香蕉视频直播�. 

香蕉视频直播淚t was not meant as a gesture to signify any disrespect or to dismiss the LGBTQ2S+ community. The City of Mission continues to stand for inclusion, not division,香蕉视频直播� Horn wrote at the time.
In August 2023, a group associated with a self-proclaimed Queen of Canada and QAnon-linked followers requested the city display 香蕉视频直播渢he world's first non-corporation freedom flag香蕉视频直播� publicly. The request was denied. 

香蕉视频直播淭he city has recently revised and reviewed its flag policy and is very clear on which flags will be flown at city hall. They're the ones that are out on the flag standards outside right now and those are the only ones that are flown here,香蕉视频直播� Horn said at the time. 

Herar says the benefits of flying the flag outweigh the negative impacts. Communities including Surrey, Maple Ridge, Hope and Coquitlam have raised the Pride flag at respective city halls this June. 

香蕉视频直播淎s council, we have the authority to say yes or no to any other flags that may fly but we could put an amendment that the Pride flag is going to fly every year. This was a very doable situation,香蕉视频直播� Herar said. 

香蕉视频直播淚 know all my council colleagues believe in diversity, and I truly believe that. I just don't understand why we can't get over this hump here.香蕉视频直播�

Herar says he's taking the lack of a seconder personally and believes council treats him differently.

He says he will bring the motion forward again in the future if the FVYS wishes it.