Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen responds to criticisms after claims that families and young children were subjected to inappropriate adult-oriented content at a Soldotna Pride in the Park event on Friday, June 17. The event included live entertainment from several performers and it was aimed at celebrating diversity and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Queen spoke with KSRM’s “Sound Off” in her response to recent inquiries of the event:
“The quote that was shared broadly was kind of two parts – one, they followed the right process, filled out the paperwork, and were treated consistently with how we treat other events. Two, I’m not aware of any laws that were broken. The third part of my answer, that was not shared, which I think is equally important is that it’s my belief that it would have been illegal for me to intervene or for our staff or for our staff to intervene and insert our independent judgement. That’s because you, Mr. Bannock and your listeners are protected by the first amendment from me, the government, suppressing what would be protected speech. It’s not intuitive to people that the way people dress or how they present themselves might fall under those same first amendment speech protections as religious speech or political speech, but it is, it’s the same basket of freedoms. It’s not just that the event followed the process, was lawful, it would have been unlawful for us, any actors of the government, to independently insert judgement and make a decision that threatened those freedoms that are constitutionally protected.”
In addressing previous references to adult entertainment, Queen says:
“We actually do have protections in city code that prevent children or the public in general from being exposed to obscene nakedness. When I received complaints, I talked with our Lieutenant in the police department. In evaluating these, the facts really matter. The fact that the performers were clothed, fully clothed with nude-colored tights means that there was not nudity. If that had not been the case, if there were body parts visible, I mean this may not be comfortable stuff for us all to talk about, but it would have been treated differently.”
The lengthy conversation on KSRM’s “Sound Off” concluded with whether Queen planned on quitting her job and a response from the Soldotna City Council through Council Member Justin Ruffridge:
Duane Bannock: “In less than 30 seconds, Stephanie Queen, are you planning on quitting your job?”
Queen: “Not today.”
Bannock: “Justin Ruffridge are you planning on firing the city manager?”
Ruffridge: “Not today.”
Identity Alaska, which sponsored the event, has held Soldotna Pride activities since 2018.
Click here to listen to the entire interview (note: it’s hour two from KSRM’s “Sound Off” on Wednesday – the audio clip of said interview expires July 5th).