Gay Pride Advocates Triumph at City Hall

Gay Pride Advocates Convince Palm Desert City Council to Continue Recognizing Greater Palm Springs Pride Each November

PALM DESERT — It took nearly four hours and at least 75 emotionally charged comments, both in person and online, but the Palm Desert Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to continue the city’s practice of hanging banners for Greater Palm Springs Pride each November.

The proposal to discontinue the custom from Palm Desert Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto, which he first raised at a Dec. 11 meeting, was to rescind a city resolution adopted in 2024 and discontinue the city’s practice of hanging banners for Greater Palm Springs Pride each November.

“I’m pleased the Palm Desert City Council voted to keep recognizing Pride Month,” Republican Assemblymember Greg Wallis told Uken Report. ” This is about treating everyone with dignity and respect—values that matter here in the Coachella Valley. When we celebrate what brings us together, we build stronger communities where families from every walk of life feel welcome. That’s the kind of home we all want to live in.”

The City Council Chamber was filled to capacity and spilled into an overflow area. Nearly everyone who spoke urged the council to keep its current banner hung during Palm Springs Pride in November.

The meeting was marked by some tears, jeers and cheers.

Attendees came from Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Palm Springs and beyond. The group included members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as the straight community.

Many threatened to take their “pink dollars” elsewhere if the Council discontinued their longstanding practice.

Many of the comments could probably be best summed up in a letter that John Hussar, a Palm Desert resident, sent to the City Council.  He minced no words in saying that the Pride Month proposal should be considered a threat to the city’s reputation and economic status.

“It is baffling why a City Councilman would rally to drop Pride Month now, during Christmas, Hanukkah. There is so many other political and economic pressures that demand more attention,” Hussar wrote. “The Council must realize that not only the obvious political acceptance and inclusion, but the abolishment has also real serious long-term effects on the city economy at a time when we have seen our beloved Canadian residents sell their homes and spend their money else where because of actions of the Trump Administration. The Council should work to bring back snowbirds and heal a reputation.

“The threat of boycott is strong not just in Palm Desert but in Palm Springs and elsewhere in the Coachella Valley. Boycotts work as we have seen with Target, Tesla etc. I don’t see efforts by the current City Council to ensure inclusion of all residents. As a long-time resident, it’s easy to see that our beloved city has grown and provides homes and businesses for all who wish to be here.
Do the right thing and be kind. Our city’s reputation is at stake.”

The effort even drew the ire of Republican Assemblymember Greg Wallis who called Pradetto’s proposal “a slap in the face” to LGBTQ+ residents, noting it comes at a time when their rights are under attack across the nation. 

Photo courtesy of Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club.