Photo flashback to 2017! 💥

Over the past few months, a continued narrative in our community has been that pride flags promote sex. Certainly, a part of any kind of human attraction could be the act of sex. However, just like straight attraction & relationships, queer attraction & relationships are not just about sex.

Attraction is about the butterflies you get when that cute person smiles back at you. Attraction is the connection that comes from holding hands with someone you love on a beautiful evening. Attraction is about feeling like someone understands and accepts you for who you are.

Relationships are about honest communication, commitment, patience, sacrifice, willingness, compassion, checking your ego, listening to hear, adjusting poor learned behaviors…etc.

All of this applies no matter the genitalia involved or the way in which the genitalia is stimulated.

Yet, genitalia stimulation is all some straight/cis folks can see. It’s all they’ve ever been able to see about humans like us. And so we have to be loud - educating the world about the natural (scientific) diversity of sexuality and gender so that the world will finally allow queers to hold hands with the person they love on a beautiful evening….in public…in peace…without fear of being beat or yelled at or spit on.

Though we have been together over 12 years, Jeremi and I don’t get to hold hands in Newberg/Dundee because we don’t feel safe in that simple, common act of affection. Over half our community can’t even handle a pride flag because they claim it is “pushing sex on children”. There is some serious homophobic paranoia and fear propaganda in this town. And while some of it comes from misunderstanding and lack of access, some comes from hate.

As queer humans, we are on high alert in every single public space we are in. That’s why a pride symbol on display can be so impactful to the queer community. To us, that symbol means that maybe it is safe for us to hold hands. 👬🏼

#husbands #gayguys #gaylove #samelove #loveislove #lovewins #queerrightsarehumanrights #countrygay #gayfarmer #gayagenda #liberty #freedom #lgbtq #instagay #gayisokay #betrue #loveyourself #pollinateflowers ...

To our incredible community: thank you. ❤️

While it appears the final tally of the recall election will fall just a few hundred votes short, we have so much gratitude for the almost 7,000 voters who showed up to demand accountability from our elected officials. Successful recall elections are rare and these election results (52%-48%) are a powerful reminder to Dave Brown and Brian Shannon that they have the support of only the slimmest majority of the community.

This election has inspired an amazing group of local citizens who have never been engaged in local politics before. Hundreds of volunteers helped make this happen. It has built community and friendships. It has motivated folks to participate in so many different ways. And accountability still awaits Dave & Brian as they face the court system in multiple pending lawsuits. The voters were their first and easiest hurdle.

To all the students who have shown up for yourselves and your classmates over these past months: y’all inspire us. 💯

We are in awe of your courage, compassion, and strength. Y’all give us hope because you are the change the future needs. Continue to discover and live your truths without reservation for the concerns of others. Practice intentional self-love and face your inner saboteurs with confidence.

Remain determined to creating a more inclusive society despite the setbacks. Share your stories with the world - your words are more powerful than you may realize. Most of all, don’t forget that even on the toughest days, you have thousands of people who believe in you right here in Newberg/Dundee. 💞

Much love to all. Stay strong and be bold! 🙌

#newbergoregon #dundeeoregon #recallelection #newbergschooldistrict #staystrong #bebold #bethechange #movingforward #bettertogether #zacharyalanphotography #pollinateflowers ...

It’s powerfully symbolic that the recall election falls on the day after MLK Day. For many Newberg/Dundee BIPOC and LGBTQ+ residents, the past 6 months have been an onslaught of bigotry, homophobia, and intimidation that has been emboldened by an eerie silence from some important community leaders.

The onslaught came from elected officials, the local police departments, out of town hate groups, the local GOP, and dozens of community members. They showed their true colors in public comments, on social media discussion boards, with their associations to fringe ideologies, endless slander and repeated attempts to paint us as damaging to the community.

Our downtown shop has been targeted by protesters. Our home address has been published by a fake “news” blog in an anonymously written hit piece promoted by a county commissioner. Multiple local politicians donated money to those who wish to censor us. The mayor of Dundee canvassed in support of bigotry. We have been repeatedly gaslit by the Newberg Police Foundation President.

We have been harassed at the grocery store. Accused of grooming, exploiting, sexualizing and abusing children. And not just from conspiracy theorists and religious zealots on social media but even a McMinnville City Councilor publicly accused us of abusing children. The Newberg police chief refused to meet with us for over 4 months, ignoring multiple requests. He has refused requests for bias training and education for his department. He told a county commissioner that he “doesn’t have to do anything” to ensure a safe community for humans like us.

Oh yeah, and we run a flower business on the side. We have donated thousands of dollars of free flowers and services to the community. We are tired. Bigotry is a sickness in our society that must be addressed head on.

MLK warned our society of “moderates who are more devoted to “order” than justice, who prefer a negative peace to a positive peace, who feel they can set the timeline for other’s freedom, who constantly advise to wait until a “more convenient season””.

Tomorrow is an opportunity for Newberg/Dundee residents to reject bigotry. This is the season. Please vote yes on both recalls. ...

Jeremi encourages everyone in Newberg/Dundee to vote YES on both sides of their ballot and return them before 8pm this Tuesday! Your vote matters! 💯

@recalldavebrown @recallbshannon #thisiswhatdemocracylookslike #newbergoregon #dundeeoregon #newbergpublicschools #recalldavebrown #recallbrianshannon #vote #bettertogether #community #voteearly ...

I’m tired of hearing Dave Brown & Brian Shannon call Policy GBG a “flag ban”. The policy is not a ban on flags.

The current policy encompasses symbols of BLM and LGBTQ pride: flags, posters, stickers, magnets, pins, anything that may appear to be a supportive of those groups of students. The 4 majority directors enacted a ban on anything that represents inclusion, and safety to the students most vulnerable in our school district. How do I know what the symbols represent to these students? Because every student who spoke up in the public comments of the board meetings literally said so.

Now, I could sit here and call them racist or homophobic, but I don’t know them enough to do so. In fact they say repeatedly that they have no issues with BIPOC or LGBTQ, but they do have issues with BIPOC and LGBTQ publicly showing pride in their identities and therefore teaching their children it’s ok to celebrate our differences. Maybe, as a gay man, I’m more sensitive to it, but I’d like to think most people can understand how that comes across.

I also wish I could say their actions are just naive, that they didn’t know what they were doing. The truth is Dave Brown, Brian Shannon and their cohorts ignored every warning, every expert, and every human who is actually affected by Policy GBG. They knew exactly the damage they were causing to these kids and our community when they pushed the policy through, and they still chose to do it, despite pleas to compromise, and solely based on their personal ideologies and political agendas.

So yes. Let’s talk about only having the US and Oregon State flags in classrooms. As a patriotic American and proud Oregonian, I’m happy to compromise on that directive. But I will never compromise when it comes to an effort to totally erase the existence of entire segments of the population in NSD. This is a public school district, and all are welcome. However, Dave Brown and Brian Shannon, despite their words, had no intentions to actually represent all students. Their action speak louder.

It’s 2022. It’s time to move on. It’s time to do better. Voting yes on the recall is the first step in achieving just that.
@recalldavebrown @recallbshannon ...

We voted early and we encourage y’all to do the same! Get those ballots in Newberg/Dundee!! 🙌

Y’all these recalls are run by a small team and it’s all hands on deck in this final week of voting. The campaigns to Recall Dave Brown and Brian Shannon need your help canvassing in the community!!

At this stage, the most important way to encourage folks to return their ballots is to have those personal conversations with our neighbors. There are also phone/text banking opportunities that you can do from home!

Please consider volunteering a few hours as our community approaches Election Day. YOU CAN make a difference in our community!!! DM the campaigns directly on social media or visit their websites to sign up to help make this happen. ✔️

Stay strong and be bold Newberg/Dundee! 🇺🇸

@recalldavebrown @recallbshannon #thisiswhatdemocracylookslike #newbergoregon #dundeeoregon #newbergpublicschools #recalldavebrown #recallbrianshannon #vote #bettertogether #community #voteearly ...