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Wake Forest Mayor Ben Clapsaddle designated June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in a proclamation Tuesday, reversing the previous mayor’s scrapping the town’s recognition of LGBTQ+ history.
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At a Board of Commissioners meeting, Clapsaddle said the town will join nationwide Pride celebrations next month to recognize LGBTQ+ history and honor LGBTQ residents who have “long contributed to the cultural, civic and economic life of Wake Forest.”
“As the mayor of the town of Wake Forest, I encourage all residents to reflect on the importance of respect, understanding and belonging for all members of our community,” Clapsaddle said in the proclamation.
The move comes after then-Mayor Vivian Jones introduced a resolution last fall declaring October as LGBTQ History Month.
That resolution drew opposition from some commissioners and conservative groups in the town of about 60,000 residents, and Jones soon walked back the effort, citing “strong feelings on both sides of the issue,” The News & Observer previously reported.
“Whereas my willingness to issue the proclamation was motivated by my commitment to one of the goals of our Strategic Plan — ‘Fostering a Safe, Diverse and Welcoming Community’ — I now realize that by expressing support for our LGBTQ community I may have unintentionally suggested the Town’s official support for one set of deeply held beliefs over another set just as deeply rooted,” Jones wrote at the time.
Jones had been mayor for 24 years. But her decision became a point of contention in her reelection campaign, as she sought to explain her stance on LGBTQ issues to voters. She ultimately lost to Clapsaddle in the general election, collecting just 30% of the vote to Clapsaddle’s 70%.
Clapsaddle said he issued the new Pride proclamation at his discretion, foregoing a vote. The proclamation didn’t receive “any open dissent,” he told The N&O Thursday.
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“It is part of the National and State recognition of our fellow citizens who make our Town, State and Nation better, and we should celebrate their contributions,” he said in a statement.
Amanda Cottrill, a co-founder of Wake Forest Pride, said at the time that Jones’ reversal of the proclamation was a blow to the local queer community.
“People who are queer exist,” she told The N&O in September. “It’s not a belief. We’re here. We’re a part of the community just like everybody else. When I saw that it made me sad for our whole community.”
Cottrill stood beside Clapsaddle on Tuesday as he read the declaration — an effort she said was years in the making and signified more than just “a piece of paper.”
“[Proclamations] send a message,” she wrote on Instagram. “They tell LGBTQ+ residents, families, business owners, youth, and neighbors that they are seen, valued, and part of this community too. No town is perfect, and the work of building belonging is ongoing, but moments like this matter.”
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email [email protected].
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 10:44 AM.