Oceanside reverses decision to fly pride flag in June

OCEANSIDE — The Oceanside City Council has reversed its earlier decision to fly the LGBTQ pride flag in June after Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa withdrew his support, citing intense community backlash and personal turmoil in the weeks following the initial vote.

Earlier this month, the council had voted 3-2 to raise the rainbow pride flag beneath the city’s flag in recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month, which is observed annually in June. The May 7 vote came after a lengthy and divided public discussion, with residents voicing both strong support and strong opposition to the gesture.

However, when the item returned as part of the May 22 consent calendar — typically a procedural step to formalize prior votes — Figueroa reversed his stance, aligning with Councilmembers Rick Robinson and Peter Weiss, who had originally voted no.

“This has been a very difficult experience for me, probably the hardest since I’ve been in leadership,” said Figueroa, who was born and raised in Oceanside. “I’ve been wrestling with this since then, and just based on the conversations I’ve had, I cannot support the resolution tonight.”

Figueroa had previously supported the measure, saying at the May 7 meeting, “Creating safe and inclusive spaces for all should be the goal of a public serving entity.”

In the days following the initial decision, Figueroa became the target of public pressure and religious appeals, including messages from community members urging him to reconsider. Among them was Rosie Higuera, a former Oceanside Unified School Board candidate and vocal critic of LGBTQ-inclusive policies.

“God has appointed you to council, and you are held accountable to God for your actions,” Higuera said during public comment.

The reversal disappointed supporters of the flag-raising, including Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce, who introduced the resolution with Mayor Esther Sanchez. Joyce strongly condemned some of the rhetoric shared during public comments, which included religious arguments and false accusations linking LGBTQ individuals and their supporters to pedophilia.

“It’s completely deliberately done to further stigmatize and isolate members of our own community and we cannot let it go unanswered,” Joyce said. “These lies are exact examples of why we need to stand strong.”

Figueroa, who describes himself as a man of faith, expressed discomfort with the way scripture was used by some residents to justify hateful comments.

“It’s been hurtful to see folks say, ‘I’m not speaking in hate,’ but then everything that comes out of their mouth is hate,” he said. “I don’t align or condone the things that have been said here by many people in the name of their faith.”

Opponents of flying the pride flag said it was unnecessary, arguing that the American flag already represents all people regardless of identity, and that spotlighting one group may alienate others. Some called for a formal city policy on ceremonial flags before future decisions are made.

Councilmember Peter Weiss reiterated that his vote was not necessarily against the pride flag but based on the lack of a standardized policy.

“I just think we should have a policy in place first,” Weiss said.

Sanchez pushed back, saying a formal policy was not required for the council to vote on whether to fly the pride flag.

The council also heard from Vista Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez and Councilmember Corinna Contreras, both members of the LGBTQ community, who urged Oceanside to stand by its original decision. Vista has flown the progressive pride flag for the past three years.

“Do the right thing, this is a very easy vote,” Contreras said. “Since then, residents have felt safer in my city.”