Geneva declares June as Pride, Gun Violence Awareness, Safe Boating Month in trio of proclamations

GENEVA – Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns issued three proclamations Monday night, declaring June as Pride Month, June 3 as Gun Violence Awareness Day and May 21-27 as National Safe Boating Week. All three proclamations were unanimously approved.

“As you know, we have done this now for multiple years,” Burns said of Pride Month. “This is not just the celebration of our LGBTQ+ friends, [but] the history they have made, the contributions they made – and continue to make – and the struggles they continue to face.”

The rainbow flag will be raised in an afternoon ceremony June 1, but details are still being worked out with Geneva resident Martha Paschke, Burns said.

Paschke has spoken publicly about having a nonbinary child.

Nonbinary is to identify oneself – and one’s gender – as existing outside of the binary definitions of man or woman, masculine or feminine, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

“Thank you for recognizing Pride Month in demonstrating an affirming and inclusive culture here in Geneva,” Paschke said.

“In June, we celebrate the history of the LGBTQ+ movement for equality. The oppressive forces of homophobia, transphobia and sexism often converge to cause fear in our own residents,” Paschke said. “For those individuals, simply existing can be dangerous. Protecting all of our residents is critical to our vision to achieve equity. It means while we celebrate what we have achieved to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, we also need to recommit ourselves to the inclusion and protection of our queer, trans and nonbinary residents and visitors and ensure that everyone is respected as a human being.”

Paschke said the reality is gay youth are more than four times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. LGBTQ+ youth are two times more likely to be bullied and harassed than their peers.

“Bullying and harassment, sadly, is second to non-accepting family as the biggest problems they face,” Paschke said. “We also know that the LGBTQ+ youth and adults in our community are creative, caring, hardworking, brilliant, valuable members of our community who deserve to be affirmed, welcomed and celebrated.”

June 12 is the Pride Parade in Aurora, followed by the family picnic from 3 to 9 p.m. at Wheeler Park South Pavilion, 3rd Ward Alderwoman Becky Hruby said.

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Geneva is one of the sponsoring churches, Hruby said.

Hruby also said she has worked with Youth Outlook at youth-outlook.org, which has information for anyone who needs it regarding LGBTQ+ youth.

Paschke said a youth forum at Geneva High School is scheduled for June 4 and an open mic and art show is the weekend of June 25 at Geneva Center for the Arts.

When introducing June 3 as Gun Violence Awareness Day, Burns said, “This is perhaps most noteworthy in light of the tragedies that just took place this weekend in Laguna (Woods) and of course in Buffalo, New York.”

Burns was referring to a mass shooting Saturday at the Tops Friendly Markets grocery store in Buffalo in which 10 people died, followed by a shooting Sunday at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California, in which one person died and five were injured.

Lauren Kunstler, along with Paschke and Paula Merrington, accepted the proclamation on behalf of Kane and Kendall Moms Demand Action.

“Firearms are currently the leading cause of death of children and teens ages 1 to 19 in the United States. Every year, 18,000 children and teens are shot and killed or wounded and approximately three million are exposed to gun violence,” Kunstler said.

This includes mass shootings, but also suicide by firearm and domestic violence, Kunstler said.

“In a national poll, 58% of adults reported that they or someone they care for has experienced gun violence in their lifetime,” Kunstler said. “It is an epidemic and working together as a community is a way to stop it.”

Regarding boater safety, Michael Jandacek, flotilla commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary who is stationed in Bolingbrook, said 2021 was more tragic with more deaths than in years past.

“The Coast Guard Auxiliary – our outreach is boater safety,” Jandacek of Batavia said. “We were sort of hamstrung in our mission for the last couple of years because of COVID, and we’re pleased to be able to be back out on the docks talking to boaters trying to teach them to be safer boaters so the Coast Guard has less work to do ultimately.”

Jandacek said irresponsibility, alcohol use and not wearing life jackets are the biggest factors in boating deaths.

“If you’re going to boat, boat safely,” Jandacek said.

Burns said the proclamations were being issued in May because the council does not meet again until June 6.