As a matter of course in his duties as the chair of the Fernandina Beach City Commission, Mayor Bradley Bean has read dozens, if not hundreds, of proclamations recognizing everything from Jazz Festival Week to Juneteenth, the end of slavery, to National Travel and Tourism Week. At the Nov. 7 meeting, Bean read a proclamation declaring Right Whale Month and Emily Adkins Blood Clot Awareness Month.
However, Bean did not read the proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, which “honor(s) the lives of those who might otherwise be forgotten,” a day founded to memorialize the murder of transgender woman Rita Hester, who was killed due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice. That proclamation was read by Commissioner Chip Ross.
The proclamation read, in part, “Transgender Day of Remembrance is an advocacy, education and community-building organization that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.”
Bean did not speak to the proclamation, simply recognized Ross to read it. Before he spoke, Ross asked those present if they wanted to join him in the front of city commission chambers in a show of support of the proclamation. Dozens of people did so.
After Ross read the proclamation, Fernandina Beach Pride President Jordan Morris spoke, saying he regretted the “drama” surrounding the matter.
“The transgender community is under attack, especially here in Florida, where they are villianized by legislation that largely prevents them from full participation in society,” Morris said.
Morris told the News-Leader he spoke to Bean last week about the matter, and the mayor told him he wanted to read the proclamation at a Transgender Day of Remembrance event held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Morris said the Fernandina Beach Pride board declined that offer, and Bean eventually declined to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance at the city commission meeting, due to “outside reasons,” Morris said, although Bean did not identify what those reasons were.
When the mayor would not read the proclamation, Morris asked Ross to do so.
At the city commission meeting, Morris shared statistics from the National Institute of Health and Census Bureau that 1% of the population identifies as transgender, which equates to 300 to 400 people on Amelia Island, “tax payers … voters … people who are also brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and active contributors to society. It just so happens that they also tend to be murdered at a much higher rate than the general population and many of these murders go unreported or misreported.”
He invited the public to the event at St. Peter’s, which he said will host a panel of members of the local transgender community.
“If you don’t know a trans person and all you think about when you hear the word ‘transgender’ is bathrooms or groomer or girls’ sports, because you have heard these buzz words in the media, then you haven’t even begun to understand the reality and the nuances of the transgender experience and struggle,” Morris said.
After Ross read the proclamation, as the crowd of those supporting the transgender community were filing out of the city commission chambers, Commissioner Darron Ayscue spoke. He called Fernandina Beach Pride “a wonderful organization,” but stated his refusal to support the proclamation, calling it part of “a political agenda.”
“I believe the proclamation silences, out of fear, part of our community who is going to be labeled transphobic because they speak out against this proclamation,” Ayscue said. “This proclamation also instills fear of a cancel culture and for those individuals who are scared to speak up, and many of them have spoken to me, I am using my voice to speak for them.”
Ayscue’s comments were met with laughter and shouts of “Shame!” and “Bigot!” as well as one person who applauded.
After city business was conducted at the commission meeting, speakers addressed the commission to express their opinion about the matter. Victoria Robas spoke directly to the mayor.
“You are elected as a commissioner to represent all the citizens of this community,” Robas said. “Will you refuse to read proclamations regarding our Black citizens, or our Asian community or those with disabilities or minorities or perhaps even read proclamations regarding women? This is a very slippery slope you have started by your refusal to read this legitimate organization’s request. Mr. Mayor, tyranny has small beginnings, and you have just shown this community how it’s done.”
Shelia Cocchi read a statement from the Rev. Linda Hart Green, who Cocchi said could not attend the meeting. Hart’s message also addressed the mayor directly. The message from Green spoke to Bean’s political career.
“I can imagine you received pressure, both religious and political, not to read (the proclamation),” the message from Green said. “However, a good leader does what is right and does not cave to pressure, but remains principled. If you expect to go further in a political career, I think you should start now by flexing some moral muscles. Bowing to the wind makes you lose respect among your constituents. While the proclamation may not be popular, it is important.”
James Bruner was the only speaker who spoke in support of Bean’s decision to not read the proclamation, which he said included inaccurate information.
“I am just here to say thank you,” Bruner told Bean. “I know it was a tough decision. We could have proclamations for Christians over what took place in Nashville. We are finding out information that Christians’ lives were taken in a most heinous way and so this is somewhat of a battle zone over our ideologies and I just want to affirm you, Mr. Mayor, for standing on the right side of this.”
Bean responded the the News-Leader’s request for comment, explaining that he believes the proclamation was not in the best interest of the community.
“I did not want to read the proclamation because it was not my words, and I did not place it on the agenda,” he said. “Proclamations about contentious social issues divide our community. Fernandina is a caring place, and we need to focus on the many things that bring us together.”
Ross was the only other commissioner who responded to the paper’s request for comment, saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
Richard Dean called the meeting “a sad, sad, sad day.”
“We talk about the Constitution that says the pursuit of happiness for all, and we are not practicing it in this community. You are leaders in this community. You need to stand up,” Dean told the city commission. “This community is hurting, the Pride community, and you are walking all over it. You are allowing people to walk all over them. We don’t expect you to endorse how they live but just see them as your citizens, your constituents who deserve protection. Their parents have asked for it, let’s start giving it to them.”
Arlene Filkoff is a former mayor of Fernandina Beach. She said, as such, she related to the political pressure Bean receives from the public, but it shouldn’t cause representatives to apply religious principles to government.
“I have always felt there was a clear distinction between government and religion,” Filkoff said. “I knew that my job was not to be anybody’s minister or anybody’s pastor or anybody’s rabbi. My job was to be a commissioner and enforce the laws of our city. My job was to be all inclusive to every citizen in our community and not take my religious beliefs to apply to somebody else. The proclamation was endorsing a memorial day for transgender. It wasn’t saying you agree with transgender. It’s a memorial day. People got killed because of who they are. This is not something anybody should be OK with. It’s an extremely slippery slope.”
jroberts@fbnewsleader.com