Bridge of Lions Reopens, Now We Can Get Our Public Forum Back

In 2005, United States District Court Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. ruled that our Bridge of Lions is a public forum and that the City of St. Augustine cannot discriminate against GLBTQ people. He ordered Rainbow flags to fly from June 7-13, 2005 in honor of St. Augustine GLBTQ Pride Week, recognizing 11,000 years of G/L history here.

Now that our Bridge of Lions has been rebuilt, it's time for human rights to be respected here.

Our City claimed the right to regulate flags on a state-owned bridge -- an issue that was not known to the Federal Court.

The Lighthouse Festival, 40th Accord and other community groups were historically allowed to fly their flags from our Bridge (as well as the Broward Yacht Company and Flagler College).

After the Rainbow Flags flew in 2005, City Commissioners ERROL JONES, DONALD CRICHLOW and GEORGE GARDNER voted to ban all but government flags from our Bridge. That would include the Confederate, US, UN, Spanish, French, British, South African, Florida and Micronesian flags, but not the Rainbow flag.

This resolution must is a mockery of the First Amendment. It must be undone.

Then-Commissioner, now-Mayor JOSEPH BOLES, was the lone dissenter who voted against the government flags resolution. BOLES was the only one to vote correctly twice -- BOLES also voted (with SUSAN BURK) against the three-vote majority that the Federal Court found violated our First Amendment.

We look for moral leadership on this important First Amendment issue to Mayor BOLES -- who has twice spoken to Gay Pride audiences in recent years, and who gave two outstanding speeches on civil rights on the occasion of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday (at the Slave Market Square and World Golf Village), again at Rev. Andrew Young's presentation of "Crossing in St. Augustine" at Flagler College, also lighting a Menorah on Hannukah at the Plaza.

The Lighthouse, 40th Accord, Gay Pride and other community groups must again be empowered to fly their flags on our Bridge of Lions.

It's our town and it's our public forum.

What do you reckon?