‘Nuclear Family Month’ adopted by Fresno County; includes divorced couples, not same-sex
A proposal to mark June in Fresno County as “Traditional Nuclear Family Month” was adopted by a majority of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after a modification to the resolution.
The supervisors passed the resolution 3-2 in a meeting with its own tense moments, including seeing an audience member kicked out of the room for shouting. The proposal by Supervisor Garry Bredefeld gained the support of Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Buddy Mendes.
The proposal had been met with controversy because for many it appeared to be an observance to replace Pride Month or even be anti-LGBTQ+.
Magsig said he came from a “broken home” as a child of divorced parents, but said he believed in a “perfect design” of a family because of his religious beliefs. Before he agreed to support it, he asked to have one clause removed.
The clause included references to “an effort to indoctrinate children to the LGBTQ lifestyle” and compared gender-affirming surgery to genital mutilation. The paragraph also referred to abortion.
“I think the resolution is cleaner specifically talking about moms and dads, the benefits of being raised in a traditional family environment, which I can appreciate, again, as someone who comes from a divorced family,” Magsig said.
Bredefeld agreed to strike the clause and also added a new one after receiving criticism that the “Nuclear Family” had left out single mothers, stepparents and other heterosexual non-nuclear families. He denied a request though to add same-sex couples to the resolution.
Although he agreed to strike some of the more divisive language from the resolution, he repeated many of its points in his final comments. That included saying there are only two genders and saying “boys dressed as girls” should not compete in girls sports.
He said the resolution was for families and not against any group.
“This resolution doesn’t take away anything from anyone. It doesn’t prohibit anyone from celebrating holidays or any other event. It doesn’t restrict anyone’s rights, nor does it prevent anyone from living life as they choose,” he said. “What it does do is recognize and celebrate an institution that has served as the foundation of civilization for centuries.”
Bredefeld said he was inspired by lawmakers in other states, like Tennessee and Alabama, who pushed the same kind of observance.
Detractors of his resolution noted it is set in June. They argued it is meant to be adversarial to Pride Month, which is an observance meant to be inclusive.
The resolution amounted to “hateful demagoguery,” according to Madison Nield, who is trans and a board member for Fresno’s PFLAG.
“I work here, I pay taxes here, I belong here. And this resolution is asking this board to officially disagree with that,” she said. “This document calls people like me anti-family. It asked the county to put its official seal on the idea that my existence is a deviation from God’s design.”
Many speakers in attendance noted that families often don’t fit into the “Nuclear Family” definition, noting close to half of marriages end in divorce.
The meeting also drew supporters of the observance.
Area resident Cindy Fukuyama said she herself has been through a divorce, but believed the resolution was something to which to aspire.
“It’s not easy, and we know the divorce rate, and we know all the ills that befall all things, but this is why we need to support the nuclear family. They are worth fighting for,” she said. “Our country has been celebrating Pride Month for 57 years. I think it’s time to also celebrate the nuclear family.”
Fresno County has drawn a line around LGBTQ-related observances that differ from its largest metropolitan area in the city of Fresno. While the city observes Pride with flag ceremonies and a vibrant parade, the county has adopted policies to restrict when and how Pride can be observed by county employees.
Supervisor Brian Pacheco, who along with Supervisor Luis Chavez voted against the proposal, said he could have supported an observance that celebrated family but did not find that in the resolution.
“I support June as Family Month. We just shouldn’t have the audacity to define what that family is or is not. Love defines the family, and it’s not the definition of a nuclear family,” he said. “I don’t see how this improves the lives of anyone in Fresno County, or how it lets us do our job any better (at) doing our core duties.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 1:53 PM.
