St. George • The City Council Chambers were packed Thursday evening as people filled the seats, stood along the wall and spilled out in the foyer where the proceedings could be viewed on television. Many there were members of the area’s LGBTQ community who came in response to a council member’s social media posts and rumors that a drag show to be held as a part of Pride Month was going to be shut down by the city.

The Facebook post

The incident that triggered the massive turnout was a message that the St. George Police Department posted Wednesday on its Facebook page that read, “No hate, Just love. Happy Pride from the St. George Police Department.”

Responses were swift and numerous from those who thanked the Police Department for its support of the Pride Month, to others who decried the post and said the department should stay away from identity politics.

Among the respondents to the post were two active St. George City Council members: Danielle Larkin and Michelle Tanner.

Larkin was supportive of the post, saying in part, “May we celebrate PRIDE MONTH in the spirit of healing and inclusion, honoring the right of every American to live authentically and freely.” Tanner, however, questioned why the Police Department was promoting Pride Month.

To read more about the Pride debate at the St. George City Council meeting, see the full story from St. George News.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.