There was a division among Wichita City Council members on a proclamation that was presented at Tuesday evening’s Council meeting.

The proclamation was presented in recognition of a Transgender Day of Visibility for March 31st, recognizing the contributions of transgender and gender non-conforming residents.

Mayor Lily Wu said she would yield the floor to any of the four Council members who approved the proclamation.   Council member Maggie Ballard stood to present and sign the proclamation, and she was joined by Council members Becky Tuttle, Brandon Johnson, and Mike Hoheisel.   Ballard said before she took the podium, “Mayor, you ran on ‘All For Wichita’ and it’s disappointing you’re not showing unity today.”    The proclamation drew applause from a number of people who were in the audience for the meeting.

Mayor Wu issued a statement later on social media:

“I respect and value all Wichitans. Your gender identity and religious choice are none of my business. If a proclamation came in wishing the exact opposite of this one, I wouldn’t vote for or read it either. I’m not here to virtue signal and I don’t stand for hate, of any kind.”