Councilmen Ty Thorngate and Dave Palmer, from left, attend a meeting of Wheeling City Council on Tuesday night, when officials voted on a new policy regarding flags flown on city flagpoles.

WHEELING – A split vote from a panel of Wheeling City Council, with two absent members, Tuesday night narrowly approved a new piece of legislation that sets forth rules pertaining to flying flags on city flagpoles.

The resolution introduced by council this week and added to the meeting agenda Monday prohibits any flag from being flown on the city flagpole at Heritage Port and on municipal poles in other public spaces, with the exception of the American flag, the flag of the state of West Virginia and the official flag of the city of Wheeling.

City officials noted that this legislation came about in the wake of a recent request from the Friendlier City Project, which last month asked the city to allow it to fly the original pride flag on the pole at Heritage Port during the organization’s fourth annual Pride on the Plaza event June 13 in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Two weeks ago during a council meeting, we had a group of people ask us about flying a flag at Heritage Port,” Councilman Dave Palmer said, noting that it made him wonder what the city’s flag policy was. “I realized we didn’t have one. So I proposed this resolution. I asked for it, and I made a request so that we could have a policy for the administration to follow and a policy that is fair and equal to all.”

Palmer added that the proposed policy was also drafted to follow a Supreme Court ruling that allows a city to set forth these guidelines and remain unharmed by lawsuits.

“I want to be clear on this policy — it’s not meant to be partial or impartial to any group,” Palmer said. “It is meant to welcome citizens by using the American flag, the state of West Virginia flag and our city flag — the three things that we represent. It also does not stop any group or organization that is holding an event, for example at Heritage Port, from posting its own flag. They just can’t fly it on the city flagpole.”

It is important to have a clear-cut policy to protect the city from potential legal entanglements over issues that could arise from other entities that may wish to fly different flags on municipal flagpoles, Palmer indicated, noting that he wanted to make sure that everyone understood what he was trying to accomplish with the legislation.

During Tuesday night’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, both Councilman Ben Seidler and Councilwoman Connie Cain were absent because of personal commitments. With five council members in attendance Tuesday night, a quorum was present to take action on legislation.

The resolution regarding the flag policy was approved by a vote of 3-2, with Palmer, Councilman Tony Assaro and Mayor Denny Magruder voting in favor of the new policy. Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis and Councilman Ty Thorngate voted against the resolution.

“My issue was the timing of it,” said Sklavounakis, who noted that acting on this measure after Pride on the Plaza representatives issued their request gives an impression that the city is trying to regulate content or negate that specific request. “I just don’t like the way the message comes across. It is sound legal policy, but I just think the timing of it was less than desirable.”

Thorngate agreed, noting that events that take place at Heritage Port should be supported by the city, especially if they are promoting pride — regardless of whether it is pride in Italian heritage, the LGBTQ+ community, the Wheeling Nailers or anything else worthy of celebration.

“To me, if it’s a city event that has been vetted and has gone through every proper protocol to make sure it goes through, it should be allowed,” Thorngate said. “I don’t have a problem with it.

“I like flags.”

The mayor noted that if the city allows one group to hoist a flag on a city flagpole, it has to let all groups do so. He indicated that this request was apparently the first of its kind, and it brought into focus the potential can of worms that could be opened if other groups asked to do the same.

“I’ve been to the Pride Festival, and they are nice events,” Magruder said, noting that organizers are free to post pride flags on their own poles, on the stage and throughout Heritage Port — just not on the city flagpole. “This was not a negative vote on council’s part.”

Before council members voted on the legislation, a group of representatives from the Friendlier City Project and other supporters of Pride on the Plaza spoke before council about the resolution.

“Introducing this piece of legislation, with our ask being the catalyst, feels as though our city leaders are willing to put support toward local organizations but not express direct public support for marginalized citizens whom they are meant to serve,” said Aiden Kosol of the Friendlier City Project board, expressing disappointment not as a member of the gay community but as a resident of the city.

Kosol stressed that the pride flag symbolizes love and resilience, and it serves as a beacon that helps traditionally marginalized individuals feel safe to express themselves freely.

“Our annual Pride on the Plaza event has become a family-friendly celebration that welcomes thousands of visitors to our city and supports more than 60 local vendors, artists, nonprofits and small businesses,” said Mikaya Green, chair of the Friendlier City Project, noting that the event not only has a host of local sponsors but also has corporate sponsors such as WesBanco, Orrick, Kroger and others.

Green said she has heard the argument that if Wheeling allows them to fly a pride flag, then it has to let another group hoist other flags such as a Nazi flag. She said that is not a comparable scenario, noting that there is a difference between a flag that is a symbol of love and acceptance and one that promotes hate.

“We believe that Wheeling is stronger when everyone feels welcome here,” Green said.

Kellie White, co-chair of the Pride on the Plaza event, noted that they initially asked for the pride flag to fly for a week and then reduced their request to just one day — during the festival. Yet it appeared through this legislation that they were still getting a “no.”

“For lack of a more eloquent response, that’s pretty lame,” White said. “And it feels like a cop-out. Flying a pride flag is welcoming people to our city. When I travel throughout the U.S. or abroad and I see a pride flag, I feel welcome.”

Wheeling resident Hilary Kinney said that the city should encourage more people to fly all kinds of flags that promote positive messages in public places. Other speakers agreed.

“When a city chooses to display a pride flag, it does not diminish anyone else’s identity, beliefs or freedoms,” Vivian Bloomfield said. “It communicates that LGBTQ residents are part of this community, too. The strength of Wheeling has always been in its people.

“As leaders, your decisions shape the culture and character of this city.”

One resident who spoke before council on another topic addressed the previous speakers, indicating that many seem to embrace the role of being “marginalized.”

“I’m a 72-year-old woman. I grew up in the Friendly City, not the ‘Friendlier’ City,” Carlee Dittmar said, noting that people in the community never used to fight about these social topics. “Until everybody decided to put somebody in a box and show your differences, advertise your differences and then complain when somebody starts a fight with you. So you started that, and now you want to continue it. As long as you make yourself different and point out that you’re different, you’re going to have those consequences.”

At the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting, the mayor issued a proclamation recognizing the 10th annual Pride Day in Wheeling, which is coming up Friday, June 12.

“It’s a day of volunteerism and the opportunity to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in Wheeling,” Magruder said. “We encourage our citizens to eliminate prejudices and come together to celebrate our city and its inclusiveness.”

The vice mayor added that with young people throughout the community celebrating graduations and moving away to attend college, it is a hope that they come back to live in Wheeling and raise their families in the Ohio Valley.

“I think what Orrick is doing and what the Friendlier City Project is doing are examples of what our community has to offer,” Sklavounakis said. “We as a city, when you look at other communities and cities of our size around this country, I really think we’re a few steps ahead, and in order for us to continue that momentum, we need the youth of our community to come back.”