www.montereycountynow.com MAY 28-JUNE 3, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Back in March, members of Marina’s transgender community reached out to Marina City Councilmember Jenny McAdams suggesting a resolution in support of Transgender Day of Visibility, observed on March 31. McAdams read aloud a mostly feel-good proclamation. “Whereas Marina values dignity, equity and inclusion for all residents,” she read. “The City of Marina recognizes the transgender residents are valued members of our community.” Councilmembers applauded and gathered for a photo op with members of the trans community. The whole discussion, if you’d even call it a discussion, was over in just a few minutes. Two months later, some of the same proponents suggested language for a similar resolution, declaring Seaside, like Marina, to be a sanctuary city for transgender people and gender-affirming health care. The resolution appeared on Seaside City Council’s meeting agenda on May 21, and I expected it would generate no discussion. It was not even scheduled for discussion, instead grouped with two-dozen other items, including authorizing grant applications and declaring June to be Pride Month. I thought a change order for $153,000 for a cement contract might generate more controversy. I was surprised when people, spoke up first to oppose the Pride Month designation, then even more vociferously to oppose the transgender sanctuary measure. “I think it’s just a waste of breath,” said Tiffinie Meyer, who also serves on the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Commission. Ray Riordan, who chairs the commission, spoke out passionately. “My big thing is, why?” he said. “You don’t do it for the Irish who have been crucified for years, that’s me. I went to Vietnam and fought for this, for freedom, not picking certain groups to get special benefits just because they’re transgender, or gay, or Irish, or Hispanic. We’re all equal here.” Pastor Jimmy Welch was even more direct: “There’s levels of wickedness…It’s sin.” This in California, in the year of our lord 2026. If you needed proof that there is a compelling need for a resolution declaring Seaside is a sanctuary for transgender people, the proof showed up right there in the room. Not that the trans community needed proof. “The community is under attack, that is the reality,” says Mel Zaragoza, president of Monterey Peninsula Pride and an ally to trans members. “Rights are being stripped away.” Athena Burciaga, a trans woman who lives in Marina and supported both cities’ declarations, says a symbolic resolution matters: “Having your city affirm they are on your side and looking out for you really does make all the difference.” Burciaga, a senior studying computer science at CSUMB, says that most of the time when she encounters transphobia it turns out the person has never knowingly met a trans person before. “Especially now, it’s more important than ever that we educate our neighbors about these issues,” she says. “A lot of transphobia is coming out of ignorance.” Councilmember Alexis García-Arrazola, who introduced the resolution, was, like me, surprised by the comments he heard from the public. Councilmember Alex Miller heard those comments and says he found them persuasive. In his remarks, Miller echoed some of Riordan’s sentiment that sounded a lot like the “all lives matter” rebuttal to Black Lives Matter. “We have many groups in Seaside and we must support all the groups,” Miller said. He abstained from voting. The resolution passed 4-0. But it passed with powerful endorsement from the other four members of council. Mayor Ian Oglesby noted the flaw in Miller’s argument—you can uplift the rights of one group without disadvantaging other groups—and defended the resolution, even as Riordan started shouting from the audience. “We have all kinds of people who live in our city. We should treat them all with dignity and respect,” Oglesby said. Seaside will raise its Pride flag at 4pm on Monday, June 1. The rainbow colors will fly for everyone, whoever you are—the choice is yours whether to be an ally of those who face discrimination and violence simply for being who they are. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Rainbow Colors Seaside council stops short of unanimous support for trans community. By Sara Rubin TAKE TWO…Squid believes in second chances—not every first draft turns out just right. In Salinas, Daniel Muñoz, also known by his rapper name Cal Paradox, is swinging hard with his second chance at recall attempts against two of his elected representatives, Salinas City Councilmember José Luis Barajas and County Supervisor Luis Alejo. This attempt comes about three months after Muñoz tried it once before, but failed to gather enough signatures, not because he didn’t have enough haters in the district willing to sign, but because he misread the Elections Code. Even if this first phase of the notice of intention to recall survives, he has a high bar ahead: To get a recall election against Barajas it will require at least 2,463 signatures of registered voters, and against Alejo, 7,070 signatures. That’s a lot, but Muñoz is confident he will pull it off. Of course he could wait until 2028 when both are up for re-election and challenge them at the ballot box, but this method—if it works—is faster. Oh, and Muñoz is running for mayor. It’s all a rather strange way to start a political career. And also a mean one. Especially given that Barajas is currently on medical leave as he recovers from a series of seizures that left him unable to speak or write, even ink-squirting Squid suggests a little grace. KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…Squid is proud of Squid’s self-replenishing ink—it allows Squid to riff on the bizarre world of Monterey County (on land and below the sea) in this column. But not all sea creatures take a liking to Squid’s work. Ollie the Octopus, for instance, once squirted black ink—imagine inverted WhiteOut—all over Squid’s writing 10 minutes before deadline. Squid felt the attack was politically motivated by a species that thinks some cephalopods are better than other cephalopods. Squid may now have a path for financial resolution thanks to President Donald Trump. The administration announced a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for those who have felt they have been attacked for their political views. The fund was part of a settlement to resolve a $10 billion civil lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS. The worst of the worst are rushing to file claims, such as U.S. Capitol rioters and far-right extremist groups, according to news reports. But just to troll Trump, many of his perceived enemies are also filing claims. Squid has so far been unable to verify how Trump himself feels about sea-dwelling creatures, but if Squid collects, Squid will use Squid’s cash to keep printing in ink about how consistently awful this administration’s policies are, for ocean- and land-dwellers both. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “Transphobia is coming out of ignorance.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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