Flying Pride Flags in Unfavorable Contexts: LGBTQ+ Advocacy Groups' Efforts in City Councils

• In Event: Political and Other External Consequences of Social Movements

Abstract

This paper examines how local LGBTQ+ advocacy groups influenced municipal decisions to fly the Pride flag on city flagpoles, including in Republican-controlled city councils where passage initially appeared unlikely. Prior scholarship on political mediation suggests that movements adapt to political constraints through tactical flexibility and leveraging relationships with elected officials. Building on this framework, I analyze Pride flag debates in city councils as symbolic acts in local governments to recognize marginalized communities. The central research question asks: Why were advocacy groups influential in some unfavorable political contexts but not others?

My study draws on an original dataset of Pride flag debates and decisions across the 34 cities in Orange County, California, between 2013 and 2023. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), I identify combinational political, social, and organizational factors associated with successful outcomes. I conducted discourse analysis of council meetings to understand advocacy efforts and council responses. Historical analysis of archival records, organizational documents, and local media provided contextual background on LGBTQ+ mobilization in each city. Semi-structured interviews with organizers, council members, and residents offered insight into coalition-building, strategic coordination, and institutional relationships. My analysis focuses particularly on cities where Pride flag proposals passed despite Republican-controlled councils.

Favorable outcomes occurred even in politically hostile environments, though strategies varied. Common tactics included coordinated public comments, letter-writing, media engagement, and direct collaboration with sympathetic council members. In more hostile environments, highly coordinated efforts were still insufficient, and groups sometimes turned to disruptive tactics, including refusal to yield the floor and confrontations with officials. These findings demonstrate that coordinated efforts among grassroots organizations, local advocacy groups, and strategic relationships with officials can produce positive outcomes even in unfavorable political contexts. Combinations of persistent multi-organizational tactical flexibility and institutional alliances have the potential to shift local symbolic politics and expand possibilities for marginalized communities.

Author

• Evelyn Rosengren-Hovee, University of California-Irvine