Wake Forest mayor issues Pride Month proclamation after last year's reversal

Wake Forest Mayor Ben Clapsaddle on May 21 presented an LGBTQ+ Pride Month proclamation, a sharp reversal from the backlash that swallowed last year’s recognition debate and a sign that the town is choosing a different posture on cultural flashpoints.

For Adele Edwards, who owns Magpie and Crow, a vintage and modern toy and video gaming store in Wake Forest, the gesture carried weight beyond municipal ceremony. Edwards, who identifies as queer, said the public affirmation of gay and queer people mattered because it told residents and business owners that the town could still signal welcome in a very public way.

The new proclamation came after former Mayor Vivian Jones rescinded a Pride-related declaration last fall. Jones had mistakenly referred to an upcoming proclamation as Pride Month when it was meant to recognize LGBTQ+ History Month in October, then pulled it back after negative feedback spread online. The earlier dispute also drew pressure from some community members and from leaders at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, who urged town officials to drop the proclamation.

Clapsaddle said he had not received any negative feedback about the June proclamation and noted that proclamations are issued at the mayor’s discretion. The town says Clapsaddle was sworn in as mayor on Dec. 16, 2025, after serving as a Wake Forest town commissioner from December 2023 to December 2025, and the new declaration suggested a cleaner break from the confusion that ended Jones’ effort.

Wake Forest Pride co-founder Amanda Cottrill said the proclamation gave visible reassurance that people are welcome, belong and deserve respect. The nonprofit describes itself as a 501(c)(3) organization focused on safe spaces, inclusivity and equality for LGBTQIA+ people, and it says it is planning a month full of June activities. In Wake Forest, the issue is no longer just ceremonial: the town’s newest proclamation has become a public test of how local leaders intend to handle inclusion, objection and the limits of civic recognition.