Mayor walks out as Madera council honors high school LGBTQ+ group for Pride month
Madera’s mayor walked away Wednesday as the City Council honored a local high school group for Pride month, continuing her apparent trend of avoiding recognition of LGBTQ+ community members.
Mayor Cece Gallegos was present minutes prior, when the council recognized and took a group photo with representatives of the Madera County Museum.
But the Madera Unified teacher was out of sight when the council was set to present the city’s Pride month proclamation to the Madera High School Gay Straight Alliance Club. The mayor remained out of sight when the council took a photo with members of the youth group, and returned shortly afterward for the council’s Juneteenth proclamation.
Madera residents who were present at Wednesday’s council meeting, and are not related to the high school club members, described Gallegos’ exit during the Pride recognition as a “disappointing” and “disrespectful” dismissal of the city’s LGBTQ+ youth.
“It’s not even about us adults,” said Angela Brooks, an LGBTQ+ Madera resident. “They gave that award to kids. What are you telling these kids? That they don’t matter?”
Gallegos did not respond to The Fresno Bee’s request for a comment.
It’s not Gallegos’ first time walking out of the room during a City Council recognition of Pride month. Since the city’s first Pride proclamation in 2021, she has avoided attending the presentations in-person — and being photographed with the LGBTQ+ people and advocates being honored — every year.
Gallegos, previously a Democrat and Madera’s District 1 councilmember, became a Republican a little over two years ago and was elected as the city’s mayor in November.
Mayor’s, city’s history on Pride month
The city of Madera first officially recognized Pride month in June 2021, though council meetings were still running virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following year, council meetings were back to an in-person format, but Gallegos virtually attended the June meeting when her colleagues presented the city’s Pride proclamation.
In June 2023, during the meeting when the council was set to recognize Pride, the public comment period filled with debate among community members about whether the city should raise the Pride flag. Then, during the meeting’s “presentations” period, the council and Gallegos recognized and took photos with youth from the Madera Future Farmers of America and the Madera High School softball team.
Video of the June 2023 meeting shows Gallegos stood up and left the room when it came time to present the city’s Pride proclamation and take a photograph with local advocates and LGBTQ+ people. She returned to the meeting afterward.
Last year, Gallegos arrived at the council meeting after her colleagues presented the recognition to the nonprofit Madera Coalition for Community Justice.
In the past, Madera’s Pride proclamations were presented by the city’s mayor, previously Santos Garcia. This year, though Gallegos is mayor, District 5 Councilmember Elsa Mejia presented the recognition to the Madera High School GSA club. Mejia said during the meeting that she was one of the club’s first members 18 years ago.
“Many people didn’t understand it then, and sadly, many still don’t understand the harassment, the bullying and the injustices that the LGBTQ+ community continues to face today,” Mejia said during the meeting. “We’re committed to creating a safe and open space for LGBTQ+ students at our school, even in the face of hate, not just from peers, but from adults in the community as well.”
On Friday, Mejia told The Bee her comments were not directed at the mayor or any of her colleagues on the council. She said she was speaking generally about the issues LGBTQ+ people continue to face.
To date, Madera has not raised the Pride flag at City Hall. The Madera Coalition has organized an LGBTQ+ support group and, earlier this month, organized the second celebration of Pride in the city.
‘Mayor’s job is to represent everyone’
LGBTQ+ Maderans who were at Wednesday’s City Council meeting told The Bee they believe Gallegos walking out during the presentation to the high school GSA club is an indication the mayor does not want to represent everyone in the city.
Resident Pamela Brooks called it “hurtful and disrespectful, like a slap in the face.”
“Especially at a time when we’re leaning back to becoming second-class citizens,” Brooks continued, “you don’t have to love us, but at least respect us and show that you support all citizens of Madera.”
Kelly Grant, another LGBTQ+ Madera resident, said similar.
“I don’t expect her to change her beliefs,” Grant said about Gallegos. “But she’s an elected official, and the mayor’s job is to represent everyone.”
Yet another LGBTQ+ resident, Lenny Galvan-Seagraves, told The Bee that Gallegos’ actions Wednesday are the type of things the youth “will absolutely remember.”
“We don’t shove anything down anyone’s throat, like some people say,” he said. “We just want recognition and support from our community leader.”
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 2:21 PM.
