A Washington state city council meeting exploded into controversy this week after a local councilwoman declared that she relates more to the LGBTQ pride flag than the American flag — and said she would never fly the U.S. flag at her own home.
The comments came from Lynnwood City Council member Isabel Mata during a discussion Monday about the city’s Wilcox Park, commonly known as “Flag Park,” which features 27 flagpoles displaying different historical versions of the American flag.
“To me, a pride flag is way more relatable than an American flag,” Mata said during the meeting. “I would not raise an American flag at my house because I wouldn’t. I wasn’t even born here. But I would raise a pride flag.”
Mata, whose official government biography describes her as a “queer, neurodivergent writer, advocate, and mindfulness meditation teacher,” argued that the city should consider replacing some of the historical flags with displays that better reflect Lynnwood’s diversity.
“This community is filled with so many beautiful cultures and diverse backgrounds,” Mata said. “Yet we have 27 iterations of the same flag, some representing parts of American history that, frankly, are not great.”
The remarks quickly ignited backlash online after video clips spread across social media platforms just weeks before Memorial Day and during the lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Conservative commentator Jason Rantz highlighted the timing of the controversy, while large social media accounts amplified the comments to millions of viewers.
“Lynnwood, Washington City Councilwoman Isabel Mata says the LGBTQ flag is more relatable than the American Flag and she would never fly an American Flag,” Libs of TikTok posted on X.
Fox News contributor Miranda Devine responded bluntly: “‘I wasn’t even born here.’ Then shut up.”
Other users reacted with comments like “WA cooked,” “wow,” and “If you hate America that much, then why are you still here?”
As criticism intensified, Mata later issued a statement attempting to clarify and soften her comments.
“I apologize for the way I expressed myself, and I mean that sincerely,” Mata told Fox News Digital. “The American flag represents the sacrifices of veterans and military families, and the promise that drew immigrants like me to this country.”
She added, “I should have honored that more carefully in my remarks, and I did not.”
Mata insisted she was speaking personally “as a queer woman” about what the pride flag symbolizes to her and said her comments were not intended as an official policy proposal.
Still, she maintained that the city should explore ways to reflect Lynnwood’s demographic diversity in public spaces.
“I believe there is room, in a city as diverse as Lynnwood, to celebrate the many cultures, identities, and communities that make it great, alongside the American flag, not instead of it,” Mata said.
