Wu calls Transgender Day proclamation a political move by former mayor’s campaign team

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu says a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility was a political move by her predecessor’s campaign team.

The mayor’s signature line was missing from the proclamation and she did not present it during a City Council meeting earlier this month, prompting multiple ethics complaints. Wu has said that the signature omission was the result of a clerical error.

“Clearly, this proclamation has divided our community. Mission accomplished for those who submitted it,” Wu said during her weekly media briefing.

The proclamation was requested by Chris Pumpelly through Proud of Wichita: the LGBTQ Chamber.

Pumpelly has previously worked on campaigns for former mayor Brandon Whipple. Wu defeated Whipple in 2023.

“I hope she realizes our campaign is over and she’s now the mayor. I’m not running for any office at this time,” Whipple said in a phone call with The Eagle.

“Chris Pumpelly is a leader in the LGBTQ community, which is why he supports candidates who support the LGBTQ community, and that’s why he supported me and not Lily Wu.”

Proclamations are typically handled by a staffer in the city council office, who sends a draft of the proclamation and the language to be included to all council members and the mayor and collects the votes.

The city staffer then prints a draft copy of the proclamations and provides them to Wu, who looks them over to spot typos or any errors prior to the council meeting, according to multiple sources familiar with the process.

The mayor said her signature line was removed from the proclamation about the transgender day because of a “clerical error.”

She also pushed back on media reports that she refused to sign the proclamation, which city ordinance describes as one of the mayor’s many duties.

“Since I remain committed to providing Wichita’s greater transparency, there will be a presentation and discussion on proclamations at next Tuesday’s city council meeting,” Wu said.

Wu also doubled-down on remarks she made last week saying the proclamation “segregated” transgender people.

“Transgender Day of Visibility has been around since 2009 and former Mayor Whipple, who was in office the last four years, did not issue this proclamation,” she said. “Instead, for the first time, his campaign team requested a transgender proclamation for this month that segregated T from LGBTQIA+.

“Let me be clear, I believe in individual liberty and personal responsibility. How you choose to live your life is none of my business,” Wu said. “Please don’t expect me to cheerlead for it.”

In a phone interview with The Eagle, Whipple said Wu should “look to build relationships instead of placing blame when you mess up. There’s plenty of opportunities for her to dialog with the LGBTQ community, and I think she’ll get more out of that than playing the blame game with me, and I guess pretending we’re still campaigning, which, by the way, we are not.”

In a statement to the Eagle, Pumpelly called the situation an “embarrassing debacle” that “underlines why inclusion is smart business, and why affirming, trustworthy leadership is so important.”

The same day as the transgender proclamation, Wu did present – and her signature appeared on – two other proclamations that sought to bring visibility to marginalized groups: Developmental Disability Awareness Month and Into the Light Day, in honor of a program that brings awareness to people living with blindness.

Contributing: Chance Swaim of The Eagle

This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 12:11 PM.