CivicPRIDE, an ICMA affiliate, is a nonprofit professional association committed to equity and belonging in local government management. Our mission is to advance inclusive local government by empowering LGBTQIA+ leadership. One way of doing so is through our annual CivicPRIDE Inclusion Summit.

As our board developed the program for this year’s summit, held June 26, 2024, we wanted to emphasize that while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is often framed as “new” or “specialized” work, we contend that DEI work, at its most effective, isn’t performed as a standalone effort. Advancing DEI for all can and should be integrated into everything local governments do—from infrastructure maintenance to policy development. This year’s summit theme, “Service by All, for All,” exemplified this message.

The summit’s panel discussion of LGBTQ+-identified local government leaders featured Monica Davis, deputy city administrator, Oakland, California; Brian Staley, public works director, Adams County, Colorado; and Stephanie Stephens, executive director, California Park and Recreation Society. There were so many key takeaways from our speakers, but here are just a few:

• Leadership is shaped by identity and lived experience. LGBTQ+ leaders seek to lift others as they rise because they viscerally understand barriers to career growth when embodying a minority identity.
• Some panelists, along with many LGBTQ+ community members, experienced rejection from family leading to financial insecurity during early adulthood.
  For LGBTQ+ leaders, simple office conversation can be stress-inducing. A question like “how was your weekend?” forces us to choose how much of our identity we are willing to share. Blending of our personal and professional selves may come with greater challenges or freedoms dependent on whether our workplace climate is welcoming.
• There are specific considerations for ensuring equitable services for the LGBTQ+ community. For example, it is important to scrutinize the relevance of gender identity for access to programs or facilities.
• We can all enhance inclusivity in our organizations and communities whether we are executives or entry-level employees.

This year’s “Stories of Pride” interview featured Boulder, Colorado’s police chief, Stephen Redfearn. We are grateful to Chief Redfearn for so openly and authentically presenting the complex intersections of policing and LGBTQ+ communities. The month of June was identified as Pride Month specifically to recognize the anniversary of the June 28, 1969, Stonewall Uprising in New York City. The raid by police at the Stonewall Inn and subsequent riot and protests are regarded as key events leading to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Chief Redfearn gave attendees a unique perspective:

• It is possible to reconcile painful history with a desire to support better policing and those working in the field. Many officers today, including those serving as LGBTQ+ community liaisons, work diligently to prevent that history from being repeated.
• Policing is only part of the story that played out at Stonewall. Other layers of government created the discriminatory laws and policies that police enforced throughout the mid-twentieth century. This does not excuse the damage done to the LGBTQ+ community at the hands of police, but does shed light on the need for city/county administrators and elected officials to consider the disproportionate burden or harm that can be inflicted on one segment of the community through policy and its enforcement.
• Our identities and lived experiences are assets and motivators for public service. Embrace the opportunity to be the person you needed when you were younger.
   

Save the date for the 2025 CivicPRIDE Inclusion Summit, taking place Wednesday, June 25. If you are interested in learning more about CivicPRIDE or becoming a member, please visit civic-pride.org.

PAM DAVIS is assistant city manager of Boulder, Colorado, USA.