Petrelis Files

BREAKING NEWS:
SF Mayor Won't Fly Trans Flag at City Hall

For a lot of weird and nonsensical reasons, the transgender pride flag can't fly on the taxpayer-funded flagpole off the mayoral taxpayer-funded balcony at San Francisco's City Hall, but . . .

. . . the Irish flag can . . .

. . . same goes for the German flag for Oktober beer fests across the city . . .

. . . also for the Philippines' flag . . .

. . . and the Forty-Niners team flag . . .

. . . and the black background version of the SF Giants flag can . . .

. . . as can the other version of the SF Giants' flag. They can all be flown from the mayor's balcony, but when it comes to raising the trans pride flag on Transgender Day of Remembrance on Tuesday, November 20, Mayor Ed Lee is unwilling to commemorate the day with a simple flag raising.

A short while ago, I received a call from transgender leader Cecilia Chung who informed me that because of procedural qualms with Matthew Goudeau, the gay director of the Office of Protocol, the request to fly her community's flag tomorrow was rejected.

Cecilia wouldn't qualify what Matthew said on behalf of Mayor Ed Lee, that the flag would not fly, as a rejection and I again believe her responsibilities as a mayoral appointee to the powerful Health Commission is why she is bending over backwards to avoid the word rejection. She's also not upset with the decision.

What is upsetting her is my sunshining of this matter and I assured Cecilia a post would go up today about the rejection. It's not too late for Mayor Ed Lee to fly a piece of cloth off the taxpayer-funded metal rod extending out over out City Hall.

Let the mayor's gay chief of staff Steve Kawa know you want to see the trans pride flag displayed from the mayor's balcony on TDOR, just like all the other flags that rotate on the pole.

Send email to: Steve.Kawa@sfgov.org and leave messages at the mayor's office: 415-554-6141.