Time to fly flags from our historic Bridge of Lions once again

In 2005, local St. Augustine Gay activists won a landmark First Amendment case against our City of St. Augustine – the result was a federal court order that saw Rainbow flags flying on our historic Bridge of Lions in honor of Gay pride from June 8-13, 2005.

Bigots fumed and picketed, while spewing 32 pages of Anonymice hate on the St. Augustine Record’s “Talk of the Town” website.

Scared-witless City Commissioners then voted 3-1 on June 13, 2005 to ban all but government flags from our bridge, with only Commissioner Joe Boles voting against.

That vote was six years ago tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, I will ask City Commissioners to consider restoring the prior policy.

Now-Mayor Boles was the only Commissioner who voted correctly twice, respecting the First Amendment. With Susan Burk, he voted to allow the Rainbow flags. In Burk’s absence, he was the only Commissioner to vote against the transparently retaliatory move to ban all but government flags from our Bridge.

Our restored $83 million Bridge of Lions should be festooned with flags for upcoming celebrations -- American, Spanish, British, Roman Catholic, Rainbow, Civil Rights (40th ACCORD), Lighthouse, Flagler College and other floags, where there is a celebration honoring or in connection with an historic person, event or place.

In honor of the upcoming monument to Rev. Andrew Young, we should fly 42 American flags from our Bridge and another seven along the Bayfront (where controversial former City Manager Bill Harriss had flagpoles removed after the federal court victory).

The City of St. Augustine is all about healing now – working to promote a national civil rights museum and finally doing right by our African-American communities of Lincolnville and West Augustine. Two Civil Rights monuments now gradce our Slave Market Square.

In the spirit of healing, our City of .St. Augustine should adopt the policy that was in effect until June 13, 2005: allowing non-profit community groups – including the 40^th Accord, Lighthouse Museum, NAACP, Gay Pride, etc. – to fly flags from the Bridge for special occasions linked to our City’s history.

What do you reckon?

I