As many of you have probably heard, there have been a couple different resolutions proposed to the Keene City Council recently that involve the LGBTQIA+ community. The most current proposal is from the Keene Pride organization, requesting that the “City of Keene be designated as a sanctuary city for the LGBTQIA+ community”. (if you want more detail on the Keene Pride proposal, it is located on pages 29-31 of the June 19th City Council packet.
There are a number of us who feel strongly that designating Keene as a “sanctuary city” for any individual group is not appropriate. This issue has been referred from the City Council to the Planning, Licenses and Development Committee. The next meeting of the PLD Committee is on Wednesday, July 9th at 6pm.
A sub-team has developed a petition that we would like to present to the PLD. The Keene Pride group had a petition with 785 signatures, so we are trying to compile a sizeable number of signatures on our petition, but we have minimal time. We have been told by City Hall that you do not have to be a resident of Keene to sign a petition like this, as long as you are in one of the neighboring communities that may shop or do business in Keene. The petition is in the link below and we hope that you will take the time to sign it. You can sign it electronically on the link which will be the fastest way for us to reach our goal. If you are not comfortable with that, please email cheshirerepublicans@gmail.com (or keenecityrepublicans@gmail.com) and we will get you a paper version to sign.
In addition, for those who have additional concerns or issues with the sanctuary city proposal, you can submit individual emails or letters to Keene City Hall by 1 pm Tuesday, July 8th, or come to the PLD meeting on Wednesday, July 9th at 6 pm in Keene City Hall to provide public comment. If you choose to submit a letter or email, to ensure it gets to the committee, it would be best to provide a copy to someone who will physically attend the meeting so they can present or hand it to the committee members.
We really need your help in this matter!!
Pass it along to family and friends who live in the Keene area and may have the same concerns!
The wording of the petition is below as well, but to sign you will need to use the link.
Petition to the Keene City Council
In Support of Equal Respect for All Residents
We, the undersigned residents of Keene and surrounding towns who do business in Keene regularly, affirm our deep respect for all individuals, regardless of their identity, background, or personal choices. We strongly support the right of every person to live freely and with dignity, so long as that freedom does not infringe upon the rights of others.
At the same time, we are concerned about the proposal to designate Keene as a “sanctuary city” for a specific identity group. While we believe this effort is likely rooted in goodwill, we feel that such designations—by elevating one group for special recognition—risk undermining the principle of equal honor and respect for all people.
True inclusivity does not require singling out any one population for symbolic sanctuary; rather, it calls us to foster a city culture that is welcoming, fair, and free of favoritism across the board.
We are also mindful of how such declarations may affect Keene’s public image. Highlighting what might be deemed a political or ideological position could unintentionally signal to families, potential residents, or businesses that Keene is no longer a place of broad civic neutrality—but one where particular identities or beliefs are favored above others. Being a welcoming, inclusive community means favoring, and excluding, no-one.
We urge the Council to consider these concerns carefully; to prioritize unity, fairness, and balanced representation in all civic actions and policies; and to reject the petition to designate Keene a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community.
Respectfully,
Anne L. Farrington is the Keene City Republican Committee Chair.
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