Fresno County Board of Supervisors issues June Resolution

July 6, 2026

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(From left: Luis Chavez, Nathan Magsig, Buddy Mendes, Brian Pacheco, Garry Bredefeld)

It was NOT to recognize June as Pride month.

The ongoing culture wars in the Central Valley continue, with this front in Fresno County. With the ascension of Bredefeld to the position of Board Chair, there’s been a full-on assault directed at the LGBTQ+ community. With a move to prevent the county library from taking part in any June Pride month activities, and directing staff to research privatizing the county library system, Bredefeld and his fellow conservatives have been doing everything in their power to marginalize the LGBTQ+ population of their county.

On June 16, 2026, they passed a resolution, recognizing June as Traditional Nuclear Family Month in the County of Fresno. The selection of June was deliberate, as it is traditionally and legally recognized as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the United States. Here’s the resolution as passed:

Revised Resolution No. 26-249Download

That’s not the resolution Bredefeld proposed, however. This is:

Resolution_as_originally_proposedDownload

In Bredefeld’s original resolution, there was a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community:

WHEREAS, children are now under attack from anti-family groups that make
every effort to indoctrinate children into the LGBTQ lifestyle, promote genital mutilation,
abortion practices and Transgender ideology without parental knowledge or consent;
and

Calmer heads on the Board got him to accept a change, removing that paragraph, and replacing it with this:

WHEREAS, single mothers and fathers, grandparents, foster parents, and those
parents that have joint custody of their children are critically important to raising healthy children and are recognized for their sacrifice, hard work and devotion to their families and children; and

While the hate directed specifically at the queer community was removed, the resolution was still passed, 3-2, Chavez and Pacheco voting NO.

Expecting a furor of comments directed at his resolution, Board Chair Bredefeld restricted public comments to 15 minutes for those opposed to the resolution, and 15 minutes for those in support, with each speaker limited to one minute. Most government bodies schedule 3 minutes per speaker for public comments. While legal, it does not reflect well on any government official to be seen limiting the public’s ability to speak on a matter they consider important.

The conservatives in the Central Valley (see Porterville City Council and their recent one minute ‘oral communications’ limit) are still working diligently to undermine the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made in the past decades. Those opposed will continue to speak out, and remind them that their views are not the “one true way” many insist be imposed on others.

June remains Pride Month, no matter what the Fresno County Board of Supervisors say.

I hope your Pride Month was joyous. Happy Pride!

Visalia Unified School District – Public Records Request – Where We Stand So Far

June 17, 2026

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It started with “Hate In A Small Town 5 (Visalia Edition)“. In “The Devil Made Me Do It“, I covered how one of the Trustees of the Visalia Unified School District said the incident was simply “A mistake”. The community doesn’t view the incident as a “mistake”.

On April 17, 2026, I initiated a Public Records request. On April 27, 2026, the District sent me a letter acknowledging my request, and saying they would respond by May 18, 2026. On May 18, 2026, they sent a response saying they would have documents no later than June 17, 2026. Well, today is June 17, 2026, and this email arrived:

Letter_06172026Download

After figuring out how to navigate a Mimecast download, I was able to access and download a 40Meg file of emails, and text messages. I’ve scanned through them, and there’s a lot of duplication due to everyone forwarding everything to everybody else. There are also other records still pending, and some they’re probably not going to give me at all. They’re giving themselves another month to comply.

We’ll see how it goes, and I’ll keep you updated as I get further information.

Proclamation 1, Proclamation 2

June 5, 2026

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Here’s the text of the proclamation issued by three of the five Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 2, 2026:

RECOGNIZING _ LGBT+ ORGANIZATIONS
FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO TULARE COUNTY
WHEREAS, Tulare County is home to a rich and diverse community ·where compassion, belonging, and service strengthen the bonds between neighbors; and


WHEREAS, The Source LGBT+ Center, PFLAG Tulare & Kings Counties, and the Visalia Pride Lions Club have each demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to ensuring that all residents are treated with dignity and respect; and


WHEREAS, PFLAG Tulare & Kings Counties offers understanding, encouragement, and education to families and allies of LGBTQ+ individuals, helping to foster acceptance and strengthen relationships across generations; and


WHEREAS, the Visalia Pride Lions Club exemplifies the spirit of service through its volunteerism, philanthropy, and outreach, uniting community members in efforts that promote inclusion and kindness for all; and


WHEREAS, The Source LGBT+ Center, celebrating their 10th anniversary, provides vital programs and services that promote health, education, advocacy, and empowerment, serving as a safe and affirming space for individuals and families throughout Tulare County; and


WHEREAS, these organizations promote understanding, cultivate vibrant communities, and champion the fundamental rights of all citizens, ensuring that everyone – regardless of who they are or whom they love – has the opportunity to live with dignity and pride.


NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Tulare County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize PFLAG Tulare & Kings Counties, the Visalia Pride Lions Club, and The Source LGBT + Center for their dedication, advocacy, and lasting contributions to the people of Tulare County.

Here’s a proclamation Gemini AI and I created, that uses almost the exact same language as the first, but is about three other organizations in Tulare County:

Here’s the text of my faux proclamation:

County of TwoLarry
Board of Supervisors

Proclamation
RECOGNIZING FAMILY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO TWOLARRY COUNTY

WHEREAS, TwoLarry County is home to a rich and diverse community where compassion, belonging, and service strengthen the bonds between neighbors; and

WHEREAS, The Parenting Network, Inc., Family Services of Tulare County, and CSET have each demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to ensuring that all residents are treated with dignity and respect; and

WHEREAS, The Parenting Network, Inc. offers understanding, encouragement, and education to families, helping to foster acceptance and strengthen relationships across generations; and

WHEREAS, CSET exemplifies the spirit of service through its volunteerism, philanthropy, and outreach, uniting community members in efforts that promote inclusion and kindness for all; and

WHEREAS, Family Services of Tulare County provides vital programs and services that promote health, education, advocacy, and empowerment, serving as a safe and affirming space for individuals and families throughout TwoLarry County; and

WHEREAS, these organizations promote understanding, cultivate vibrant communities, and champion the fundamental rights of all citizens, ensuring that everyone – regardless of who they are – has the opportunity to live with dignity and pride.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the TwoLarry County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize The Parenting Network, Inc., CSET, and Family Services of Tulare County for their dedication, advocacy, and lasting contributions to the people of TwoLarry County.

Here are some comments on Facebook posts by various news sources about the Supervisors walking out during the presentation:

Cari – People are sick and tired of seeing this crap at EVERY turn! I could care less which way one leans, but honoring someone because of their sexuality is about the most RIDICULOUS thing I may have ever heard of, and at a Board of Supervisors meeting?!

Deborah – Keep it in the bedroom not the boardroom! Geeze people. This is sickening. Grow up! Stop pushing your sins on everyone.

Joel – Right on. We need to stop celebrating a small section of society and acknowledging them for their sexual preferences. So stupid and absurd to celebrate people not procreating and many living a life of debauchery. Celebrate mom’s and dad’s for June.

David – This is not about homophobia or bigotry it is about keeping your sex life out of politics. Proclamations like this are divisive. Should we have a heterosexual proclamation? For Christians, the Bible is very clear; no room for interpretation. I will always treat Amy with respect, but I do not agree with her life choices, and they do belong at home, not the office.

Now, in any of the text of either proclamation, is there any reference to bedrooms, sin, sexual preferences, debauchery, or life choices? If the second proclamation could be acceptable because the organizations are not LGBT related, and with barely any change in the text, why are so many up in arms about the first?

I think I know. I suspect you do, too.

Cowardly Lions, Part 2 – Defending the indefensible

June 3, 2026

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The Dynamic Duo on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors is doubling-down. After walking out of the Board Chambers during a proclamation presentation recognizing three local LGBT organizations, both District 5 Board member Dennis Townsend and District 2 Board member Pete Vander Poel, while insisting their actions were “respectful”, have had to defend themselves in response to public outcry, and questions from newspaper reporters. For the back-story, read my previous blog post, Cowardly Lions.

Vander Poel, in an interview given to the Sun-Gazette newspaper, said he supported The Source LGBT+ Center and The Visalia Pride Lions, two of the three organizations recognized by the proclamation. He would not support the proclamation, however, because it included PFLAG Tulare & Kings Counties.

Having never heard of PFLAG before, Vander Poel says in an email response to a constituent, that he did some “research” on the group. A picture there apparently triggered Vander Poel. It showed, he said, “When you look at their home page you will see a photo. In that photo, there are individuals holding signs that say “Trump Treason=Lock Him Up” and “Fight Ignorance Not Immigrants” and “Affordable Health Care for All”. On the about link, they highlight protesting. On the PFLAG national website, they talk about “Fighting” and “Protesting”. Vander Poel went on to say, “Activism and protesting are not strategies I believe in and I did not want to recognize a seemingly political organization that focuses on that.” I find it strange that he says “activism and protesting are not strategies I believe in.” Really? What country does he live in?

That, of course, is not what PFLAG is all about. “PFLAG ​is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.” – From the “About Us” page on PFLAG National’s website. Vander Poel grabbed onto one partially visible sign in one picture on one page of the website, and decided that meant the local PFLAG chapter was all about “fighting” and “protesting”.

Townsend, in the same Sun-Gazette interview, says he was not familiar with Visalia Pride Lions. He described PFLAG as a ‘far-left wing political organization, and was about the LGBT lifestyle’. He told the Board of Supervisors staff to remove his name from the proclamation form.

Channeling the ghosts of a proclamation fiasco in a city in his district, Porterville, from back in 2013, Townsend accused Board Chair Amy Shuklian of a “little sleight of hand”. In the 2013 incident, Porterville City Council members accused then-Mayor Virginia Gurrola of manipulating the procedures to present a June Pride Month Proclamation for that city. Townsend accused Shuklian of originally presenting it as a recognition of The Source LGBT+ Center’s 10th anniversary, and was a “setup” to have it presented during Pride Month. He said it was “not appropriate”.

What it boils down to, is both Vander Poel and Townsend are right-wing Republicans, and have, apparently, decided that supporting the LGBT community in such a visible manner is a bridge too far.

I let them know how I feel about their actions in public comments immediately after the proclamation.

“I find it very disturbing that Mr. Vander Poel and Mr. Townsend left the room during this presentation. The disrespect that shows is just stunning to me, that you would be leaders of the entire county and walk out of this room when the LGBT community is recognized. Thank you to the three that stayed, and made very nice comments. I think they’re fine examples of leadership in this county. Three out of five, I guess.”

The fallout is still raining down. Social media is buzzing with talk about the subject. My posts alone, in less than 30 hours, have had over 40,000 views, just on this subject.

I told members of the Board of Trustees of the Visalia Unified School District that they “needed to do better”, in a recent public comments session. Now it looks like I’ll have to direct that message to two of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, as well.

The joys of living in a bright red part of California. *sigh*

Cowardly Lions

June 2, 2026

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Meet Tulare County Supervisors Pete Vander Poel (left), and Dennis Townsend. Today they demonstrated a glaring lack of leadership during the June 2, 2026, Board meeting. Not just that, though. They sent a very strong message to their constituents. For their MAGA compatriots, they will no doubt be hailed as heroes. For the LGBTQ community, however, they sent a very different message. One of contempt and disdain.

Board Chair Amy Shuklian, seen below, issued a proclamation recognizing three LBGTQ organizations for their “contributions to Tulare County”. It was signed by Shuklian, and Board members Larry Micari and Eddie Valero.

You’ll notice two empty chairs on the dais. (Well, three, but Amy’s doesn’t count, since she’s the one making the presentation) Those empty seats belong to Vander Poel and Townsend. They wouldn’t even stay in the room during the presentation. This is a clear abrogation of their duties as representatives of Tulare County as a whole. There are over 473,000 people living here, and if the nation-wide percentages of the queer community as part of the total population hold true here, and there’s no reason to suspect they don’t, then at least 47,300 of those constituents are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Townsend and Vander Poel just told them what they think of them. There’s clearly no respect there.

Here’s the proclamation they wouldn’t be in the same room for:

It’s a sad commentary on right-wing politics (because both are local Republican leaders) when something as innocuous as a proclamation recognizing three organizations for their social outreach and public service activities is a bridge too far. It’s bad enough not to sign it, but leaving the room is a slap in the face of every LGBT person in Tulare County, and those that love them.

Cowardly lions, both of them. Oz needs to give them courage, and a heart. It’s clear they have neither.

Congress is at it again

April 30, 2026

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I know it’s been going on for a long time, now, but I still find it annoying. Republicans in Congress are attacking transgender children, again, and trying to hide it in a misleading bill title.

H.R. 2616 is the “Parental Rights Over The Education and Care of Their Kids Act or the PROTECT Kids Act”. It of course does exactly the opposite of that.

From the Congress.gov website:

This bill requires public elementary and middle schools, as a condition of receiving certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education, to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender on school forms or changing a student’s sex-based accommodations.

Specifically, an elementary school or a school consisting of only grades 5-8 must obtain parental consent before changing a minor student’s (1) gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or (2) sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.

A BILL

To require public elementary and middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent before changing a minor’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Parental Rights Over The Education and Care of Their Kids Act ” or the “PROTECT Kids Act”.

SEC. 2. Parental consent requirement related to gender markers, pronouns, and preferred names on school forms and sex-based accommodations.

(a) Requirement.—As a condition of receiving funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), a public school that receives funds under such Act shall obtain parental consent before changing a covered student’s—

(1) gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or

(2) sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.

(b) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) COVERED STUDENT.—The term “covered student” means a minor who is—

(A) an elementary school student; or

(B) a student in any of the middle grades.

(2) ESEA TERMS.—The terms “elementary school”, “middle grades”, and “parent” have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

That’s it. That’s the entire bill. The entire intent is to out trans kids, regardless of the student’s wishes. Regardless of the hostility from family or the community. The child’s needs are irrelevant. Only the political points gained by the Republicans matter.

I sent a message to my Congressman, Vince Fong (R) about this bill, urging a NO vote. Here’s his response:

Dear Jim,

Thank you for reaching out to me regarding LGBTQ Americans.  I understand that many people have strong and differing opinions about this issue.  I take all of these views seriously and value the diversity of thought in our district. 

While I am opposed to policies that ignore the fundamental biological differences between men and women and have supported legislation to protect the integrity of Title IX, I believe those in Congress should respect the dignity of all citizens when debating legislation.

Over the last few decades, our political discourse across America has worsened. Instead of having productive negotiations, lawmakers have turned policy debates into uncontrollable arguments, opting instead for whatever gets the most retweets or soundbite coverage on network news. 

For too long, we have denied one another the chance to be seen not as a member of a particular political party, but as men and women with values, families and loved ones, and experiences that have shaped who we are and what we stand for. We must recommit ourselves to civility and respect one another as human beings no matter where we fall on the political spectrum.

Thank you again for contacting me.  Hearing about what is most important to you and your family helps me represent California’s 20th Congressional District to the best of my ability.  It is a great honor to serve you in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Should you have additional comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at my Bakersfield, Clovis, or Washington, D.C. offices.  

If you would like to receive regular updates to learn more about my legislative work on behalf of our neighbors and communities, please sign up for my newsletter below.

Sincerely,

I suspect if I were to have access to a “politi-speak” AI, and asked it to explain to me what he said in this response, it would return “not much”. He’s going to vote in support, I suspect, regardless of how this bill would hurt kids.

I wonder what the price of a Republican soul is these days? It must be an impressive payoff, as so many of them have signed on the dotted line so easily.

Oh, credit where credit is due. Fong’s office responded quicker to my message than any Representative or Senator, or Assemblyman or state Senator has in the past. It only took a couple of days to get a response. That’s unusual.

“The Devil Made Me Do It!”

February 18, 2026

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In my previous blog, “Hate In A Small Town 5 (Visalia Edition)“, I talked about the how the community responded to ten Redwood High School seniors taking a picture of themselves in tshirts that spelled out “2FAG6OTS”. It’s caused quite the dust-up in our community, and has become international news.

You can read my previous post about the situation to see what the Visalia Unified School District has done about the situation, but I wanted to highlight a particular response by one of the Visalia Unified School District Board of Trustees, Paul Belt.

In a Facebook post on 2/17/26, Belt says the incident was a “student mistake”. Then in the comments, he blames it all on being part of a “spiritual battle”, rather than young people being raised in an environment that condones such actions. He seems much more bothered by the uproar in the community than he is with the students actions. “Hatred and vitriolic language have no place for young minds to grow and flourish”. Does he think the students should be free to express hatred and vitriolic language, since it’s just a “mistake”.

I wonder if he would think it was a “mistake” if the students had spelled out “SATAN ROCKS”, or something similar. I’m suspecting not, but, hey, you never know, right?

I think we can tell what Mr. Belt thinks about the LGBTQIA+ community, when he says a deliberately committed act of making and posting a derogatory image to social media is a “student mistake”.

Screenshot

The March 10, 2026 School Board meeting promises to be a packed affair. A lot of folks have a lot to say to the Board and the District. I think it will be a long night, unless the Board moves to limit comments.

The regular session begins at 5:30pm, at the Board room of VUSD, 5000 W. Cypress, Visalia.

UPDATE 2/23/2026:

Belt has deleted (or hidden) his posts about the “student mistake” from his Facebook page. Makes one wonder if someone at the Visalia Unified School District yelled at him, sorry…, ‘recommended’ he delete those posts.

Hate In A Small Town 5 (Visalia Edition)

February 15, 2026

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Since the Pride Month proclamation fiasco in Porterville, California, in the summer of 2013, I’ve written several blogs on ‘Hate In A Small Town’. You can find them here: Hate In A Small Town (1) 9-18-2014, Hate In A Small Town (2) 6-18-2014, Porterville City Council Still Snubbing LGBTQ Community 9-24-2014, and Hate In A Small Town 4 – It’s Déjà vu all over again 3-19-2025. The first blog was printed in the Weekend Edition of the Visalia Times Delta on September 21-22, 2013. Those blogs all dealt with a nearby city, Porterville, California. My city, Visalia, has been better about LGBTQ issues, for the most part, until this incident. (Not that Visalia has been a gay beacon, by any means. In 2002, the ACLU settled a lawsuit against the Visalia Unified School District, in which the District “agreed to adopt sweeping reforms to address anti-gay harassment, including groundbreaking measures to train staff and students with the goal of preventing harassment before it happens,” *see below for the Consent order)

The picture above started making the rounds on social media on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Here’s the background, as I know it at the time of this publication.

A class picture was taken in an auditorium, with some of the ASB officers wearing white t-shirts with lettering, designed to spell out “Always Legit Class of 2026”. See the image below.

The event was apparently also hosting freshman orientation, with students from feeder middle schools on campus. The current story circulating is that two eighth grade boys were seen holding hands, triggering the students in the above picture to spell out a homophobic slur, and have other students take pictures. It’s not known if the targets of the slur saw it in the moment, but they have certainly seen it on social media since. It’s also not clear where Redwood High School staff and teachers were during this incident, as they appear not to have put a stop to the students posing for the picture.

Students immediately posted to Instagram and other social media sites, and the shit hit the fan. “Going viral” doesn’t do justice to how those posts took off, and how they were received by the community.

Visalia Unified School District began immediate damage control. Click on ‘more’ for the rest of the story.

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Steven does Dallas

January 17, 2026

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Steven G. “Slade” Childers (Left-circa 1972 – Right-2025)

Wait, no… that’s not right. Steven sued Dallas. The Dallas Police Department.

Why?

Because they didn’t want a homosexual working for them. Really.

Later court and legislative battles are often remembered, like Lawrence V. Texas, California Propositions 22 and 8, and the Supreme Court of the United States case Obergefell V. Hodges. But in 1981, Childers V. Dallas was an early opening salvo in the battle for equality.

It was the 1970’s. Stonewall was just a few years earlier, in June of 1969. The Dallas LGBT community held their first Pride Parade in 1972, and Steven G. “Slade” Childers was there. He was 21 years old at the time, and working for the City of Dallas, Texas, in the city water department.

It had become clear to Slade that he was not being promoted in his current position, so when he saw a job opening listed for “storekeeper seven” with the city, he applied. The listing did not specify it was with the Police Department, so at this time, it could be assumed it was a position with the city administration. Slade took the placement test, making the highest score. He was put on the list for interviews, and was called by the Police Department for a job in their evidence storeroom. He was not hired, and not informed why.

The next year, he applied again, and again scored highest on the written test. He was called in by the Police Department for the same position as before. During this interview, he asked the person conducting the interview, the same person who had interviewed him before, why he hadn’t been hired?

Although it probably didn’t seem like it at the time, the proverbial feces hit the oscillating air mover.

The plot, as they say, thickens.

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January 16, 2025 – January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026

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What can I say about the last year?

“Wow” just doesn’t seem to convey the import in any truly meaningful way.

Today is our 1st anniversary. You can see the wedding video, here, if you like. It was such a fun ceremony, with lots of laughs. Some intentional, some not.

Here’s another picture of us that I like very much, from a couple of years ago.

It’s been a very important year for me. I’ve learned how to be a husband, something I never thought would be a thing. (Not that I think I’m done learning, hopefully that is an ongoing project!)

In our vows, I wrote Kou “always leads with energy, passion, and maybe just a little bit of silliness”, and that remains true today. His love for me is eclipsed only by mine for him.

I could go on about the attention he pays his family, and now mine. How he cares for our dogs as deeply as he would for children. How he takes his role as an educator so seriously, but also that he brings a joy and energy to his profession so often lacking in today’s world. His students justifiably adore him. I don’t doubt that some of his co-workers don’t really know how to take him! Here’s a hint, folks: emulate him, and you too can be a great educator, and a great person!

In short, he is an amazing person, and I love him very much. Happy Anniversary, Kou! Love you!

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