If not for the murder of two Shasta County gay men 22 years ago, Don Yost might not have stood in front of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors this week to stand up for all people who identify as gay, lesbian and transgender.
The board, on a 3 to 2 vote, passed a proclamation on Tuesday declaring June LGBTQ+ Pride Month, something that Yost said hadn’t been done at the county level before.
The 78-year-old Redding man said the murder in July 1999 of Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder led him to become an activist for gay, lesbian and transgender causes.
“That changed my world and gave me different priorities. Up until that point, I’d had gay friends, but I figured any kind of gay equality stuff was up to them,” Yost said.
“After Gary and Winfield were murdered, I decided that it was everybody’s fight to make sure that LGBT people had a right to everything else that anybody else has, that other citizens have,” Yost said.
“It was clear that gay people did not have the rights. And they became targets,” Yost said. “There are still places in this country where gay people can’t adopt (children). There are states where you can be fired from your job because you’re gay. And you’ve got no recourse to that.”
So on Tuesday, it was Yost who asked the board to pass the proclamation declaring June LGBTQ+ Month.
Yost said there have been other gay-rights proclamations issued by other public agencies in the county, but Tuesday’s vote was the first by the county Board of Supervisors.
Yost and his wife, Lee Macey, are both on the board of directors of NorCal OUTreach, an organization that advocates for the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people.
But there were many in the chambers who opposed the proclamation, including two members of the board. Venus Bontadelli of Anderson was one of those who spoke out against the proclamation.
“Make it Pride Month. Be proud of who you are, not of what you’d be doing behind closed doors, because that should have nothing to do with what is put forth,” Bontadelli said.
Another woman who spoke to the board said the supervisors were acting against the will of the majority of county residents.
“This designation is out of step with our traditional family values and Christian beliefs that many people value and hold dear in Shasta County,” she said.
Supervisor Patrick Jones, who voted against the proclamation, said that as a member of the board he took an oath to defend the U.S. and California constitutions and not discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.
“And that’s for all people and we respect all people. I guess I am disappointed with the political correctness that a resolution like this has come (forward). As a Christian, I do not support this behavior, while I will fight vigorously to defend and fight (for) your constitutional rights. Because of that, I will not support this resolution,” Jones said.
He was joined in voting against the issue by Supervisor Les Baugh, who said that as a “man of God and a pastor” he was not in a position to judge people who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender.
But the board should not “proclaim sexuality,” he said.
“Would we present a heterosexual day? Would we represent, I’ll just say ‘fat white day?’ I don’t know. I don’t think those things should be considered from this board of supervisors. I don’t think they have anything to do with what we are called to do,” Baugh said.
Supervisor Leonard Moty said it was odd Jones used the Constitution to explain the reason for his vote.
“I will just say that several people have said that we take an oath to uphold the constitutions of California and the United States. And yet they’ve turned around and wrapped themselves in that as a way to hide from being fair to all people and upholding their sworn duty,” Moty said.
Macey, 76, said she was at the board meeting when her husband, Yost, made his presentation Tuesday. She said the negative comments about people who identify as gay or lesbian upset her.
“I was feeling teary at the end because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. And I just felt that there was a lot of strong negative feelings being thrown around, and hurtful things. And you know, it was uncomfortable,” she said.
Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
