Shelton Wins Its Fight For Pride
Shelton Pride Proclamation approved due to community turnout and reconsideration by Shelton City Council.
By Matt Hilton
A Pride Month proclamation in Shelton initially failed on a tied 3-3 vote before being approved. A large community turnout pushed City Council to reconsider. More than 180 community members showed up to the revote, with 56 people giving public comment primarily in support. The final vote passed 5-2.
History of Pride Proclamations in Shelton
Shelton’s first Pride Month proclamation was in June 2022. There was some public resistance to June 2023’s proclamation, but the 2024 and 2025 proclamations passed without controversy. This year’s proclamation drew a lot more public attention and was the most contested to date.
In April 2026, organizers for the Pride Month proclamation learned that Mayor Sharon Schirman and other council members may vote against the proclamation. This divided City Council meant organizers needed to seek out community sponsors for the proclamation ahead of the vote, ultimately securing 18 in support.
Initial Vote
During a May 12 in a study session, the City Council considered two proclamations, a celebration of the 250th Independence Day and a Pride Proclamation. The first passed without discussion. In discussion for the Pride Month proclamation, Mayor Schirman feared division saying, “Shelton is a small, close-knit community and I do not want proclamations to become a source of division among my neighbors” and Council Member George Blush agreed. Council Member Miguel Gutierrez pointed out the hypocrisy of both their statements.
Deputy Mayor Lyndsey Sapp likened the proclamation to promoting specific religions and lifestyle choices. Council Member Tom Gilmore shared how he wants everybody to feel safe in Shelton and shared this community has been marginalized recently. Council Member Eric Onisko spoke of the evolution of civil rights and that “people have a right to love who we love.”
Mayor Schirman questioned what the proclamation has to do with government. And Gutierrez responded, “It has everything to do with government, standing up for people’s equality.” The motion died in a 3-3 tie with Gutierrez, Onisko, and Gilmore in favor.
In response, Gutierrez shared “Half of us did not want to acknowledge the equality of LGBTQ+ people in this community… and I think that is very disturbing”. Blush responded by stating he had people contact him and say “This is something we don’t want in our community. That’s who we’re listening to,” and then downplayed the violence and threats the LGBTQ+ community.
Community Response
Gutierrez did not give up on this initiative. He let the organizers know he would call for a revote due to absence of council Member Melissa Stearns at the last meeting. The community came together with over 180 people attending the May 19 City Council meeting. Due to 56 people having signed up for public comment, Mayor Schirman suggested reduction in speaking time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes. The time reduction passed with Onisko, Gilmore, and Gutierrez opposed.
The City Council Chambers could not hold everyone who showed up, resulting in seats and a TV live-streaming the meeting being added outside the chamber. A large percentage of those who signed up for public comment made statements in favor of passing the proclamation, sharing many personal and heartfelt stories of what this proclamation means to them. To many, this proclamation meant safely being part of the community and being accepted for who they are.
Revote
After public comments the meeting continued, later unanimously passing a National Public Works Week proclamation. After it was approved Gutierrez added “Thank you to our public works employees for their hard work. If only we could do that for our LGBTQ+ community”.
Near the end of the meeting Gutierrez called for a revote for the Pride Month proclamation and shared “supporting equal rights for all sends a powerful message that Mason County is a welcoming place where everyone can thrive” and the proclamation has many safety and economic benefits for the community. Gilmore apologized for the “discrimination and violence [people experienced] and continue to experience … and I’m sorry you had to relive it here in front of us today”. Onisko shared how he is supporting this proclamation for his family and neighbors, stopping to admonish crowd member Jason Sapp, Deputy Mayor Lyndsey Sapp’s husband, who was shaking his head at him.
Blush had nothing to add to the discussion, and Sapp stood by her previous words. Mayor Schirman shared she has been name-called and threatened in the last week due to her vote and that in public comments there were “stories that I did not need to know.” She continued “It is not about me, it is about our community… If this makes our community feel better, I will not stop it.”
The motion passed 5-2 with Blush and Sapp voting nay. There was confusion initially whether it had passed as many in the crowd thought Stearns had voted nay and Schirman’s “pass” vote could be construed as an abstain. City Manager, Mark Ziegler, cleared up the confusion and the majority of the crowd cheered the passage.
Proclamation Reading
The vote was won, but the reasons supporters fought for the proclamation are not gone. In the week following the vote, members of the LGBTQ+ community shared there was an increase in hostility and threats online. These reactions show the reason why Pride Month recognition is important: visibility and support are meaningful when a community feels targeted and unwelcome.
On June 2, the Pride Month proclamation was read by Gutierrez to another large turnout of the community. Far fewer people had public comment, with some in favor and some opposed to the proclamation. Mayor Schirman and Deputy Mayor Sapp were not present for this meeting. After the proclamation was read, applause lasted roughly 15 seconds, reflecting the crowd’s relief and celebration after months of work.
Shelton Pride Events
The passage of the proclamation is welcome as Shelton will host many Pride Month events throughout June culminating in “Pride at the Park” June 26 5-8 p.m. at Kneeland Park in Shelton.