Letter: Keynote speaker chosen for Paso MLK Jr. event is hurtful
To the editor,
– Every year, I look forward to attending the MLK Jr. event in Downtown Paso Robles. Regrettably, I won’t be able to participate this year. The designated keynote speaker for this year’s event is a school board member associated with the extremist group Moms for Liberty. Her campaign, centered around opposing “transgender ideology,” has caused harm within our local LGBTQ+ community. This contradicts the principles of equality, compassion, and unity that the event seeks to honor in the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
In a June 7, 2023 statement from the City of Paso Robles addressing the distribution of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ literature, City Manager Ty Lewis emphasized the city’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and accepting community free from fear or prejudice. The statement underscored the city’s dedication to promoting inclusivity, celebrating diversity, and opposing discrimination in all its forms.
The selection of this keynote speaker starkly contradicts the values the City of Paso Robles professes to uphold. I remain optimistic that, in the future, we can be more discerning in choosing individuals to lead events meant to unite and bring people together.
Elena Garcia
Paso Robles resident
Bearcat class of 2003
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