Thanks so much for offering your perspective, Jim. To be clear, the committee’s discussion about the police department was not about involving them in our Pride event. It was a discussion as to whether we should accept the department’s invitation to participate in one of their community events. Holly did not advocate one way or the other and we decided as a group not to associate ourselves with the police sponsored event.

Interestingly, the strongest proponent for keeping positive relations with the police is a white trans woman who heads a program that supports LGBTQ teens. She became extremely emotional about the issue to the point of shedding tears.

It’s a complex situation. And extremely confusing and frustrating for me, as I care deeply and my natural inclination is to always look to find common ground, which seems near impossible in the midst of such acrimony.