By Mike Lednovich
Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean notified Fernandina Beach Pride Monday that he is unwilling to read the Transgender Day of Remembrance proclamation at Tuesday’s city commission meeting. That was his initial decision, then he relented, then he changed his mind again.
Pride President Jordan Morris said Bean arrived at his home Monday afternoon to notify him that he would not read the proclamation as written.
“I knew something was up when he showed up at my house,” Morris said. “We talked for about an hour and the mayor said he would not read it. This is apolitical and a stain on the mayor’s office because he is not representing all of the constituents of Fernandina Beach.”
Morris said Bean showed him a draft of a new proclamation that he proposed to be read at the meeting.
“The mayor’s draft proclamation eviscerated the intent and meaning of Transgender Day of Remembrance,” Morris said. “The draft language was more about anti-violence in general. There was not one mention of violence against transgender people and I was very concerned with that. The draft was unacceptable, and I told the mayor this isn’t going to work.”
Morris has asked Commissioner Chip Ross to read theTransgender Day of Remembrance proclamation as originally written.
“If I have the authority and am so asked I will read the proclamation. All five commissioners represent all of the people of Fernandina Beach,” Ross said.
Although if Ross is allowed to read the proclamation, it could be an unofficial city document because it will not include the signature of Mayor Bean.
Reached for comment, Mayor Bean texted, “In regards to your continued requests for comment, feel free to stop. I will never provide comment for your blog.”
Morris said he has asked Pride members and supporters to attend the city commission meeting in force for the reading of the proclamation.
Last week, Bean originally told Morris he was rejecting the proclamation, but then changed his stance after people had contacted him and the City Clerk’s office regarding his decision.
Pride posted on its Facebook page Monday morning the following:
“At this week’s Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting (Tuesday, Nov. 7, 6pm, City Hall), a proclamation will be read to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance. Please consider joining us in a showing of solidarity for this cause. Wear light blue/pink or rainbow attire to help demonstrate the importance of this annual proclamation and our love and acceptance for our transgender brothers and sisters. We will leave the meeting when the proclamation is complete.”
Pride has not posted any notice on Facebook of Bean’s subsequent refusal to read the proclamation.
City proclamations are read at the beginning of city commission meetings, which start at 6 p.m.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Nov. 20 was founded in 1999 by a small group, including Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto to memorialize the murder of Black transgender women Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts and Chanelle Pickett in Watertown, Massachusetts.
The local Pride Transgender Day of Remembrance proclamation has been read at city commission meetings for the past several years.
The proclamation reads:
WHEREAS, fourteen years ago, Ms. Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender woman, founded
Transgender Day of Remembrance to memorialize the murder of a fellow transgender woman, Ms. Rita
Hester who was killed due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice. Like many anti-transgender murder
cases, Ms. Hester’s death has yet to be solved; and
WHEREAS, this Day of Remembrance is an international day of action observed in over 185
cities and in more than twenty countries. Although not every person represented during Transgender Day
of Remembrance self-identifies as transgender, each has been subjected to violence based on bias against
transgender people. Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender based hate or prejudice; and
WHEREAS, this Day of Remembrance raises public awareness of hate crimes and publicly
mourns and honors the lives of those who might otherwise be forgotten. Day of Remembrance reminds
people that we are their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, parents, and friends. Day of Remembrance
provides our allies an opportunity to step forward and stand in vigil, memorializing those who’ve
tragically died simply for being who they are; and
WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance is an advocacy, education, and communitybuilding organization that works to end
discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression. This includes working towards the empowerment of all persons who have been,
are being, or might be deprived of equal rights and/or fair treatment because of their gender expression or identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bradley M. Bean, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of
the City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, do hereby proclaim November 20, 2023, as:
“TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE” and remind all that we are created equal and have certain unalienable rights which include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The kid has a backbone. Who knew?
You keep shoving this Trans crap in our faces and we’re going to give it back. Think Bud Light.
Yep, but they keep doing it anyway.
Think everyone is God’s creation and do not think you are better than….
Nobody is shoving anything in your face. Lots of other proclamations get read, but you don’t seem to have a problem with them. Intolerance for diversity is what is really hurting this country. Also, why don’t you use your real name on your posts?
Indeed post your real name
no thanks, to many nutters out there.
people don’t post their real name because it can be dangerous, there are to many nutters out there (just look at some of the militant trannys out there, as well as some of the MAGA nutters). And it is no one’s business anyway.
Seems cowardly! Supposed to represent all the people of Fernandina Beach, not just those who vote for you.
Seems more like a Waffle than a Bean.
Why would the Mayor of Fernandina Beach not want to take the opportunity to read that last line of the proclamation and “remind all that we are (all) created equal and have certain unalienable rights which include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”?
I am pretty sure that last line would be OK.
Here we go again. Dividing us by characteristics that we cannot control. I know some people don’t think this is true but I believe we are all God’s children.
Here’s an idea.
Hate and prejudice in all its forms are evil. That’s a proclamation we should all be able to get behind.
Government needs to stop trying to tell us how different we all are and start telling us how much we all share in a common humanity.
Yes!!! Agree
well to thine own self and values be true, Respect goes both ways, trying to force the man to read a proclamation he does not believe in is a wrong as condemning transgender people. Tolerance and respect go both ways, not just “your way”.
It is the job of the mayor to extend this to groups. If he doesnt like it he can hand it off to the Commissioner who volunteered to read it.
ummm – that is exactly what he did.
And it is official. Chip stepped up
Sadly, the proclamation is not “Official” without the Mayor’s signature. Just a way for Baby Bean to skirt the issue. He’s working hard to maintain the relationships of the conservative PACs that donated $25,000 to his campaign for Mayor and allowing the dark money lobbying group based in Ohio that demands “transparency” but hides themselves as the CDF.
Since we are on the subject of how special interest groups influence government – it is said that Pfizer is the 6th most owned stock by congress. From what we all experienced the last few years, it certainly sounds as if it could be true. Medical tyranny affects us all. How about a day of remembrance for those killed by Big Hospital?
So you mean hospitals in general or just big pharma. There is no medical tyranny…just refuse
After Obamacare most doctors ended up working for hospitals. Very few are in private practice. Most Doctors are no longer free to do what they think is best for the patient. They most follow the protocol set by hospital administration. It is one of the ways Ivermectin and other alternative treatments were suppressed.
Hospitals got $39,000 for every death that was coded as being caused by covID.
Restricted travel, quarantines, contact tracing, etc. – is tyranny.
That is not accurate. Doctors ( and you can use BMC N as an example. None of the GPs have hospital practices. The hospital employs Hospitalists to handle inpatient and after discharge they go back to their regular physician. The only healthcare systems who have docs working for them is a Mayo Clinic model. All Docs on this island are in private practice
Angel, if you think about, it is highly doubtful that all doctors living on the Island are in private practice – if that is what you are saying – see excerpt below…….
“While the shift away from private practices was already under way prior to Obamacare, the legislation definitely threw gasoline on the fire.”In its 2014 survey, the Physician’s Foundation found that “only 35% of physicians describe themselves as independent practice owners, down from 49% in 2012 and 62% in 2008.” In contrast, 53 percent of the survey respondents described themselves as hospital or medical group employees, increasing from 38 percent in 2008 and 44 percent in 2012.
https://exposingobamacare.wordpress.com/
Yes sir…..most docs are in office practice and NOT practice in a hospital setting…and are not affiliated with a hospital
Yes, took him a while to get it right. No offense, I like you, but that is why we elected a new mayor. Commission should stay out of these matters.
Once again it is NOT “matters”. It is the job of the Commission to issue proclamations. If they need to stay out of these matters then they should not issue ANY proclamations
“WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance is an advocacy”
I think the problem and the objection that Mayor Bean and others in the community take issue with is the politicization of the LGBTQ community in general. People are being used as political pawns by those on who want to push a narrative that men who identify as women are women and vice versa. It’s also fact that activists not only want acceptance but also want others including children to be “in their court” when it comes to their lifestyle. In some States such as Washington and California courts are allowing children to be removed from their homes for a time if they express an interest in changing their gender in order for doctors to proceed with these changes medically. There is also the issue that the Bible and even Christ himself in the New Testament speaks against such lifestyles in multiple chapters and verses. So the proclamation in itself is not necessarily the issue as most of us in this area live in harmony, love our neighbor regardless of our differences and would not discriminate against others not like us but rather the idea that Mayor Bean and other citizens would champion or “advocate” (right out of the proclamation) a cause that is not in line with their personal and religious beliefs.
That is not accurate. AND BTW you are bringing religion into government. This Day of remembrance is simply recognizing those killed in an act of hatred because of their choice. NO one is being used as a political pawn. Stop mixing this with religion.
Jason’s comment is 100% accurate. You think you’re always right don’t you. Learn to STFU.
OHHHHHH posting under a name like bill fold…of course with words of hate. have a compassionate and truth-filled day Monsieur Fold
please read the entire sentence, “WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance is an advocacy, education, and community building organization that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression. Ending discrimination, that is what the “advocay” refers to…it’s not referring to jamming anything down anyone’s throat…as some posters here claim. Why so much vitriol toward other human beings? What is your fear and what facts is it based on? People have been targeted simply because they are gay or transgender and this day and proclamation is simply to recognize them and remember them. And, like many are prone to say, “All lives matter.”