Fresno City College leader says Valley is ‘changing,’ more supportive of LGBTQ+ Pride
Fresno City College President Carole Goldsmith said she usually doesn’t like to make things personal. But at Friday morning’s flag-raising at the campus, she couldn’t help it.
As the first openly gay president of the college, raising the LGBTQ+ Pride flag for the first time on campus was deeply personal.
“I’m really lucky to be here,” she told a small crowd that watched the rainbow flag go up near Maroa Avenue. “I’m really lucky to be your president, and have gone through education, and be able to stand here today, on a day I thought I’d never see.
“For too long, our Valley has been seen by others, and maybe rightfully so, as a place where racist and homophobic and misogynistic ideals run the norm. And I don’t believe that’s who we are anymore. We’re changing.”
On Tuesday, State Center Community College trustees voted unanimously to recognize June as LGBTQ Pride Month, and as part of that, trustees recommended each campus raise a flag.
Board President Annalisa Perea said the vote wasn’t a tough decision at all for the seven trustees.
“Many of you know, we come from many different backgrounds, many different ideologies, and we came together to pass this unanimously,” she said Friday.
Speaking during Tuesday’s board meeting, Perea noted the LGBTQ+ community has historically been marginalized. Youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth, according to the Trevor Project, a national organization that provides crisis intervention for that community.
“As somebody who has personally struggled with finding my own true self,” Perea said, “I do want to just encourage everybody that if you are struggling in your own way, to seek help, you may not feel like it today, but it does get better.”
The decision to display a Pride flag was not as easy for other decision-makers around the Valley. Opposition centered around the argument that displaying a flag for one group would exclude other groups.
In May, a proposal to recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Kingsburg had no support other than its sponsor, councilmember Jewel Hurtado. A large crowd gathered outside the meeting, and three hours of public comment took place. Before the meeting, the Fresno County GOP sent an email blast to recruit people to speak out against the proposal.
“Part of unity in Kingsburg is we all need to support each other,” Mayor Laura North said at the time. “Not one group above another.”
Hurtado was in attendance at Friday’s event at the college and said raising a flag may not feel like a big deal to a lot of people, “but I tell you, when you are openly gay in the Central Valley, it’s not an easy thing to do. We did not choose this lifestyle,” she said. “We were born this way. We cannot love and accept our entire community until we stand up for the most vulnerable among us.”
Also in attendance at Friday morning’s event was Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who has clashed with Fresno councilmembers who want the LGBTQ+ Pride flag flown at City Hall. Instead, Dyer proposed creating a “unity park” at Eaton Plaza to fly flags for different ceremonies and celebrations.
Later Friday, Dyer said he had changed his stance about raising the flag at City Hall, saying he was compelled by what he saw and heard at Fresno City College’s Pride flag-raising ceremony.
At Tuesday’s meeting, State Center trustee Nasreen Johnson said she doesn’t believe Fresno has ever been the most LGBTQ+ friendly place in the state.
“So, I think we need to reaffirm, wherever possible, that all of our students are welcome on our campuses, all of our staff is welcome on our campuses, and we wholeheartedly support everyone in their authentic selves.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 1:15 PM.