Palm Springs received national accolades in Nov. 2017 when its city council became the first all-LGBTQ council in the United States. Fast-forward less than two years and the “diversity” it was once celebrated for has become an Achilles heel.
Truth be told, some would say Palm Springs’ government isn’t very diverse at all. Despite a population that is 25% Latino, the council is still all white. Minorities say they are woefully underrepresented in the city.
So less than three months after its city council earned glowing headlines about its diversity, the honeymoon was over and the city was nearly sued. To avoid a legal showdown with Latino activists, Palm Springs agreed to switch to district-based elections, as so many other cities have been forced to do in recent years.
The change will almost certainly mean an end to Palm Springs’ all-LGBTQ status.
That’s fine with Councilman J.R. Roberts, a self-described “reluctant queer.” He “saw the ‘all-LGBTQ’ branding of the council as more of a distraction than a benefit,” according to the Washington Post. However, “he believes the city is too small to be carved up into districts, which he predicts will turn into ‘fiefdoms’ and cause friction between council members suddenly competing for city resources.”
Councilwoman Christy Holstege also thinks the council would benefit from more people of color.
“If we get a broader spectrum of diversity on the council, I think, frankly, everybody will be happier,” she told the Post.
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