On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting once again became a battleground for equality. In a direct counter to Pride Month, the Board voted 3 to 2 to declare June as “Traditional Nuclear Family Month.” Introduced by Supervisor Garry Bredefeld, the resolution sparked passionate public comments and highlighted the ongoing culture wars being brought into our local government. For the LGBTQ community and our allies in Fresno, it was a day of standing up against exclusionary rhetoric.
Supervisor Bredefeld’s original draft of the resolution was overtly hostile toward the LGBTQ community. The original text declared a family consisting of one husband and one wife as “God’s perfect design.” Furthermore, it levied harmful accusations against LGBTQ organizations, baselessly claiming they promote “gender mutilation” and indoctrinate youth.
However, due to board discussions, the final version saw changes adopted, before the vote.
Supervisor Nathan Magsig requested the removal of the fifth paragraph, which contained the most explicit attacks on the “LGBTQ lifestyle.” Magsig argued that the resolution should focus solely on the traditional family rather than attacking others. Bredefeld agreed to strike the paragraph.
Additionally, to address concerns raised by Supervisor Buddy Mendes regarding the exclusion of other family structures, a new paragraph was added. This addition officially recognizes the hard work and sacrifice of single mothers, single fathers, grandparents, foster parents, and parents with joint custody.
Yet, when Supervisor Luis Chavez directly asked if the board would be willing to add language recognizing the success and love of LGBTQ families raising children, the request was flatly rejected by Supervisor Bredefeld.
Our Community Speaks Out
Members of the LGBTQ community, allies, and local residents turned out in force to oppose the measure. The county received over 100 emails opposing the measure. 4 were in favor, they were from Linda Whitaker, Joanne Burton, Teri D. and Karen Francone. The overarching message at the podium was clear: celebrating one type of family should not mean diminishing others.
Highlights from the opposition included:
- Madison Neild, a transgender woman and PFLAG board member, powerfully stated, “This is not governance, this is hateful demagoguery. This is one man’s obsession with a community that has never done him or anybody any harm.”
- Alfred Alredredie pointed out the exclusionary nature of the resolution, stating, “This resolution isn’t about honoring family. It’s about narrowing family, and in a county as richly diverse as Fresno, narrowing is not leadership, it’s erasure.”
- Community Allies highlighted demographic realities, noting that roughly 40% of households in Fresno County are led by single parents. Others pointed out the hypocrisy of a local government dedicating time to culture wars when serious issues like housing, poverty, and healthcare remain unaddressed.
- Keegan Davis, raised by two mothers in Fresno, noted the lack of scientific backing for the resolution’s claims, adding that calling the nuclear family “God’s design” is a religious belief that has no place carrying the county’s official seal.
Those Echoing Exclusion
Supporters of the resolution filled the chambers to applaud the measure, framing the traditional nuclear family as the only valid bedrock of a healthy society.
- Jonathan Keller, president of the California Family Council, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as an anti-LGBTQ hate group, praised the resolution. He stated that the county could choose to “light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.”
- Several speakers echoed the sentiment that society has lost its way, arguing that a mother and father in the home is the “gold standard” and claiming that progressive values are being unfairly pushed onto children.
- Supervisor Magsig defended his support by stating, “I do believe there is a perfect design. I believe there is absolute truth.”
The Final Vote
Ultimately, the resolution passed with a 3 to 2 vote. Supervisors Garry Bredefeld, Nathan Magsig, and Buddy Mendes voted in favor.
Supervisors Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco stood with our community and voted NO. Supervisor Chavez noted that he could not support a document that purposely ignores the successful, loving LGBTQ couples raising children in Fresno County. Supervisor Pacheco echoed this, stating that he supports family month but refuses to support defining what a family is or is not, declaring that love defines a family.
While the resolution’s most aggressive anti-LGBTQ language was stripped before the final vote, the message it sends is still deeply felt. However, the overwhelming turnout from our community and the powerful testimonies delivered at the podium show that LGBTQ Fresno is strong, resilient, and unapologetic.
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