Santa Ynez Valley Pride leads Copenhagen Pride Parade

SOLVANG, Calif.-When Santa Ynez Valley Pride board members accepted an invitation to Copenhagen Pride they didn't expect to be leading the Pride Parade.

"It was insane,"said SYV Pride Social Media Manager Harry Mullin, "My face hurt from grinning the entire time."

Solvang's Mayor Mark Infanti learned about it upon their return.

"It looked like it was quite spectacular in that we had Santa Ynez Valley Pride people right up front at the beginning of the parade, it was great."

But the trip hasn't helped perceptions sparked by Rainbow House Inc.'s request to put Pride banners up on city light poles during Pride month in June.

The Solvang City Council voted to compromise allowing specially designed banners to go up for half the month.

"They met in the middle and granted them an exception, eight flags for two weeks, and that settled the deal."

The Solvang City Council did not agree to allow colorful crosswalks like those painted temporarily in Los Olivos.

"You know every event has lots of horses and every major horse trainer and owner said 'don't you dare put colored sidewalks in the street, it will drive the horses nuts,'" said Infanti,"We refused the crosswalks and voted against the banners, because they didn't meet our policy, people took that as offensive that we were against the gay community," said Infanti.

In the midst of discussions video posted on social media showed the burning of a Pride flag stolen from a local church.

Mayor Infanti said it's important for people to understand that the city policy only allows city light pole banners to advertise city sponsored events such as Julefest and Theaterfest.

"Our policy read at the time that we only put banners up for Solvang City sponsored events."

They recently clarified the policy.

"What we did was, we said, hey, nobody gets to put up light pole banners except the city," said Infanti.

He was in contact with Copenhagen's Lord Mayor Sophie Haestorp Anderson regarding the matter, but said when he tried to correct misconceptions in an email he never heard back.

Mullin said many people in Copenhagen see it differently.

"Everyone in Copenhagen now knows about Solvang and that it is an incredibly conservative place that need helps," said Mullin.

The city recently clarified its policy.

"It won't happen again because we changed our policy to say nobody gets to apply or ask for light pole banners," said Infanti.

It is not clear if the issue impacted tourism, but the store Pride and Joy in Solvang recently announced it is closing.

"Bottom line to it is we get Danish tourists here regularly, but they come here from all over, our sister city is Allborg, not Copenhagen, and we have never heard anything from them that was negative, so there is a segment of Copenhagen that might be upset," said Infanti, "Will that make it a drastic change in tourism from Denmark? I don't think so, no."

He considers it a misunderstanding that was blown out of proportion.

"Everything is copacetic, but it was misunderstood by a lot of people," said Infanti.

Mullin hopes the atmosphere changes.

"Solvang needs to be safer for the queer community by making it very clear that there is no exception of bigotry and there is only celebration of diversity of the community, " said Mullin.

In the wake of the trip, Copenhagen Pride and SYV Pride hope coll on future events.